In a worst-possible-case scenario on Saturday (May 17), the rain could play spoilsport in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a> return leg&rsquo;s opener between <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/royal-challengers-bengaluru" rel="dofollow">Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)</a> and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Bengaluru. As per AccuWeather, thunderstorms, heavy on occasion, could headline Saturday&rsquo;s blockbuster. Beginning in the afternoon, the showers could continue till late evening, potentially interrupting the game.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) further predicts one or two spells of rain during the game time.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-ipl-2025-gets-underway-with-blockbuster-rcb-vs-kkr-in-bengaluru-heres-what-we-know-9077582" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025 gets underway with blockbuster RCB vs KKR in Bengaluru. Here&rsquo;s what we know</a>
Meanwhile, rain also had to do with both teams deciding on their training session timings before the marquee clash. While the hosts held their training session from 2 PM to 5 PM on the match-day eve, a decision team director Mo Bobat said, was taken considering the patchy weather conditions in the city, the travelling side began their practice from 5 PM onwards but ended at around 6:30 PM.
Rain, however, continued to pour in abundance since Friday night at around 9:30 PM when both teams completed their practice sessions. It didn&rsquo;t stop for at least three to four hours, while it was the same case the previous night.
<h2>What happens if rain plays spoilsport?</h2>
If rain causes no result on Saturday, with each team bagging one point, it&rsquo;s going to be curtains for KKR, who will, at best, finish at 14 points in as many games (should they win their last league match) while it will put RCB in the playoff spot.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-ipl-2025-sunil-gavaskar-explains-how-mi-captain-hardik-pandya-made-mumbai-fans-cheer-for-him-after-booing-him-last-season-9078115" rel="dofollow">Gavaskar explains how MI captain Pandya made Mumbai fans cheer for him after booing throughout last season</a>
Even in case of a washout, RCB can finish in the top two and thus qualify for Qualifier 1, the winner of which reaches the final, while the loser would get another chance to reach the summit clash in Qualifier 2.
<h3>&lsquo;Not much you can do&rsquo;</h3>
Bobat reflected on the outcome of a washout at the venue on Saturday, adding that outside of wanting the players to feel calm and relaxed about the game, there are things one cannot control, and rain and results are part of them.
"When you get to game day, you can't control it," Bobat said on match eve. "So, actually you want your players to feel as clear and relaxed as possible. You trust them to make decisions in the moment, regardless of what happens.
"We don't overthink any of those things really. If the game's rain-affected, it's rain-affected. It's not something any of us control. So, we don't really think too much about that, but it might influence our preparation,&rdquo; he continued.&nbsp;

As per AccuWeather, thunderstorms could headline Saturday’s blockbuster. Beginning in the afternoon, the showers could continue till late evening, potentially interrupting the game. Sports, Cricket

In a worst-possible-case scenario on Saturday (May 17), the rain could play spoilsport in the IPL 2025 return leg’s opener between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Bengaluru. As per AccuWeather, thunderstorms, heavy on occasion, could headline Saturday’s blockbuster. Beginning in the afternoon, the showers could continue till late evening, potentially interrupting the game. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) further predicts one or two spells of rain during the game time. Also read | IPL 2025 gets underway with blockbuster RCB vs KKR in Bengaluru. Here’s what we know Meanwhile, rain also had to do with both teams deciding on their training session timings before the marquee clash. While the hosts held their training session from 2 PM to 5 PM on the match-day eve, a decision team director Mo Bobat said, was taken considering the patchy weather conditions in the city, the travelling side began their practice from 5 PM onwards but ended at around 6:30 PM. Rain, however, continued to pour in abundance since Friday night at around 9:30 PM when both teams completed their practice sessions. It didn’t stop for at least three to four hours, while it was the same case the previous night. What happens if rain plays spoilsport? If rain causes no result on Saturday, with each team bagging one point, it’s going to be curtains for KKR, who will, at best, finish at 14 points in as many games (should they win their last league match) while it will put RCB in the playoff spot. Also read | Gavaskar explains how MI captain Pandya made Mumbai fans cheer for him after booing throughout last season Even in case of a washout, RCB can finish in the top two and thus qualify for Qualifier 1, the winner of which reaches the final, while the loser would get another chance to reach the summit clash in Qualifier 2. ‘Not much you can do’ Bobat reflected on the outcome of a washout at the venue on Saturday, adding that outside of wanting the players to feel calm and relaxed about the game, there are things one cannot control, and rain and results are part of them. "When you get to game day, you can't control it," Bobat said on match eve. "So, actually you want your players to feel as clear and relaxed as possible. You trust them to make decisions in the moment, regardless of what happens. "We don't overthink any of those things really. If the game's rain-affected, it's rain-affected. It's not something any of us control. So, we don't really think too much about that, but it might influence our preparation,” he continued.

IPL 2025: Will rain play spoilsport in Bengaluru? Check out weather forecast for RCB-KKR game

Cricket is back as fans gear up for the business end of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a>, resuming Saturday (May 17) evening. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/royal-challengers-bengaluru" rel="dofollow">Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)</a> hosts <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kolkata-knight-riders" rel="dofollow">Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)</a> in a repeat of the tournament opener in Bengaluru. After being suspended for a week over escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/bcci" rel="dofollow">BCCI</a> resumed the tournament, with M Chinnaswamy staging the first game of the return leg.
The RCB and KKR will face off with plenty on the line. While the RCB sits at the second spot on the points table with 16 points from 11 contested matches, winning eight and losing three thus far, same as table-toppers Gujarat Titans (GT), KKR is languishing at the sixth place, with 11 points from 12 matches. Given their positions on the table, the RCB is well-placed to reach another playoff, this time under a new captain in Rajat Patidar.
On the other hand, KKR must win this game and the next to give themselves any chance of making the last four this year.
<h2>IPL 2025 resumes</h2>
After the Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals game was halted midway last Thursday (May 8) in Dharamsala, dark clouds began hovering over this edition&rsquo;s future, knowing what was happening near the border. Looking at everyone&rsquo;s safety and the prevailing tensions between the two countries, the BCCI suspended it for a week on May 9 (Friday).
Although India and Pakistan &lsquo;agreed to an understanding&rsquo; soon after, the whole episode gripped the foreign contingent with panic, with all leaving for their homes immediately.&nbsp;
After the situation eased out, the Indian Cricket Board released the revised schedule early this week, announcing that IPL 2025 will resume this Saturday and that all teams are requested to assemble their squads by Tuesday (May 13). The IPL 2025 final date also got pushed back to June 3 (Tuesday).&nbsp;
While most teams managed to do it by asking their overseas players to return, plenty decided against returning for several reasons.
<h3>Who is missing RCB-KKR match?</h3>
A few players across both camps decided against returning, including KKR&rsquo;s overseas pair of Moeen Ali and Rovman Powell. RCB seamer Josh Hazlewood also remains unavailable for selection because of a shoulder niggle, while his participation for the remainder of the tournament remains unclear due to international commitments.
However, in a massive boost for the hosts, RCB captain Rajat Patidar recovered from the finger injury he sustained earlier and is available for the side&rsquo;s marquee game against KKR.
<h3>Here are the predicted XIs of both teams &ndash;</h3>
RCB - Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar (captain), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Lungi Ngidi, Yash Dayal and Suyash Sharma
KKR - Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana

After being suspended for a week over escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the BCCI resumed the tournament, with RCB hosting KKR in first game of the return leg. Sports, Cricket

Cricket is back as fans gear up for the business end of IPL 2025, resuming Saturday (May 17) evening. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) hosts Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a repeat of the tournament opener in Bengaluru. After being suspended for a week over escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the BCCI resumed the tournament, with M Chinnaswamy staging the first game of the return leg. The RCB and KKR will face off with plenty on the line. While the RCB sits at the second spot on the points table with 16 points from 11 contested matches, winning eight and losing three thus far, same as table-toppers Gujarat Titans (GT), KKR is languishing at the sixth place, with 11 points from 12 matches. Given their positions on the table, the RCB is well-placed to reach another playoff, this time under a new captain in Rajat Patidar. On the other hand, KKR must win this game and the next to give themselves any chance of making the last four this year. IPL 2025 resumes After the Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals game was halted midway last Thursday (May 8) in Dharamsala, dark clouds began hovering over this edition’s future, knowing what was happening near the border. Looking at everyone’s safety and the prevailing tensions between the two countries, the BCCI suspended it for a week on May 9 (Friday). Although India and Pakistan ‘agreed to an understanding’ soon after, the whole episode gripped the foreign contingent with panic, with all leaving for their homes immediately. After the situation eased out, the Indian Cricket Board released the revised schedule early this week, announcing that IPL 2025 will resume this Saturday and that all teams are requested to assemble their squads by Tuesday (May 13). The IPL 2025 final date also got pushed back to June 3 (Tuesday). While most teams managed to do it by asking their overseas players to return, plenty decided against returning for several reasons. Who is missing RCB-KKR match? A few players across both camps decided against returning, including KKR’s overseas pair of Moeen Ali and Rovman Powell. RCB seamer Josh Hazlewood also remains unavailable for selection because of a shoulder niggle, while his participation for the remainder of the tournament remains unclear due to international commitments. However, in a massive boost for the hosts, RCB captain Rajat Patidar recovered from the finger injury he sustained earlier and is available for the side’s marquee game against KKR. Here are the predicted XIs of both teams – RCB - Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar (captain), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Lungi Ngidi, Yash Dayal and Suyash Sharma KKR - Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana

IPL 2025 gets underway with blockbuster RCB vs KKR in Bengaluru. Here’s what we know

Kolkata Knight Riders suffered a crucial blow to their IPL 2025 playoff hopes after losing a close match to Chennai Super Kings by 2 wickets. The defeat narrows their chances of qualifying, while CSK inches closer to solidifying their spot. Watch for more details!

IPL: Chennai Super Kings edge past KKR by 2 wickets, dent playoff dream

Kolkata Knight Riders&rsquo; chances of qualifying for the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) Playoffs took a major hit on Wednesday (May 7) as they lost to already eliminated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by two wickets. The defeat at the Eden Gardens has seen the three-time champions on the brink of elimination before the Playoffs. However, Ajinkya Rahane and Co. need a mathematical miracle along with a helping hand to reach the Playoffs.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">KKR need a mathematical miracle</h2>
At the time of writing, KKR, with two matches in hand, can reach a maximum of 15 points (if they win), meaning they can no longer finish in the top two of the IPL 2025 standings. Another defeat for the defending champions will see their elimination get official, while a win will see them stay in the hunt for a Playoff place for another day.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">What favour would KKR need?</h2>
Assuming KKR win both their matches, SunRisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru will drop points as a result. SRH are already out of the Playoff race and RCB are uncatchable since they already are on 16 points. KKR will need Punjab Kings to win all their matches, including beating Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians in the head-to-head matches.
This means PBKS will finish in the top three, leaving Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Lucknow Super Giants scrambling for the fourth place. Since Mumbai and Delhi are facing each other in a head-to-head contest on Thursday (May 15), KKR will need the Capitals to win at the Wankhede Stadium. KKR will also need Lucknow Super Giants to lose at least one of their three matches.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rohit-sharma-announces-retirement-from-test-cricket-9045477" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Rohit Sharma announces retirement from Test cricket</a>
If the above set of equations are achieved, then KKR and DC will finish on 15 points while Mumbai will end the league phase with 14 points. Lucknow will also end with 14 points or fewer, leaving Delhi and Kolkata scrambling for a place in the Playoffs.
In this case, NRR will play a vital role in sending either team to the IPL 2025 Playoffs. Both KKR and DC have positive run rates and will be largely influenced by the margin of their wins and defeats in the remaining matches.
However, any other set of results will see Kolkata Knight Riders pack their bags early from IPL 2025. &nbsp;

KKR’s chances of qualifying for the IPL 2025 Playoffs took a major hit on Wednesday (May 7) as they lost to already eliminated CSK by two wickets. India News | Cricket | Sports

Kolkata Knight Riders’ chances of qualifying for the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) Playoffs took a major hit on Wednesday (May 7) as they lost to already eliminated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by two wickets. The defeat at the Eden Gardens has seen the three-time champions on the brink of elimination before the Playoffs. However, Ajinkya Rahane and Co. need a mathematical miracle along with a helping hand to reach the Playoffs. KKR need a mathematical miracle At the time of writing, KKR, with two matches in hand, can reach a maximum of 15 points (if they win), meaning they can no longer finish in the top two of the IPL 2025 standings. Another defeat for the defending champions will see their elimination get official, while a win will see them stay in the hunt for a Playoff place for another day. What favour would KKR need? Assuming KKR win both their matches, SunRisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru will drop points as a result. SRH are already out of the Playoff race and RCB are uncatchable since they already are on 16 points. KKR will need Punjab Kings to win all their matches, including beating Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians in the head-to-head matches. This means PBKS will finish in the top three, leaving Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Lucknow Super Giants scrambling for the fourth place. Since Mumbai and Delhi are facing each other in a head-to-head contest on Thursday (May 15), KKR will need the Capitals to win at the Wankhede Stadium. KKR will also need Lucknow Super Giants to lose at least one of their three matches. ALSO READ | Rohit Sharma announces retirement from Test cricket If the above set of equations are achieved, then KKR and DC will finish on 15 points while Mumbai will end the league phase with 14 points. Lucknow will also end with 14 points or fewer, leaving Delhi and Kolkata scrambling for a place in the Playoffs. In this case, NRR will play a vital role in sending either team to the IPL 2025 Playoffs. Both KKR and DC have positive run rates and will be largely influenced by the margin of their wins and defeats in the remaining matches. However, any other set of results will see Kolkata Knight Riders pack their bags early from IPL 2025.

KKR's IPL 2025 Playoffs Qualification scenario: Can Ajinkya Rahane's side book top four berth, here's what the standings say

Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag wreaked havoc in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) on Sunday as he hit six consecutive sixes on Sunday (May 4). Playing at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Parag entered record books by achieving the rare feat in T20 cricket. However, despite his blistering knock of 95 runs, Rajasthan Royals lost by one run in yet another close contest in IPL 2025.<o:p></o:p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
SIX CONSECUTIVE SIXES BY RIYAN PARAG...!!! 👑🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKRvsRR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKRvsRR</a> <a href="https://t.co/dEJxNUqlVZ">pic.twitter.com/dEJxNUqlVZ</a>
&mdash; Chai_Sutta (@Chai_SuttaGuy) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chai_SuttaGuy/status/1919022439041835160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Parag enters record books<o:p></o:p></h2>
Batting at the Eden Gardens, Parag and Co needed 207 runs to win as they struggled in the middle overs. However, the decisive moment arrived in the 13th over when Parag hit five consecutive sixes against Moeen Ali. He initially hit four sixes before Ali bowled a wide ball, but it could not break Parag&rsquo;s momentum as he scored another six on the last ball of the over. This meant Ali gave away 32 runs in the 13th over, the second most expensive in IPL 2025. <o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Batters to hit 5 sixes in an over in IPL</h2>
Chris Gayle off Rahul Sharma, 2012<o:p></o:p>
Rahul Tewatia off Sheldon Cottrell, 2020<o:p></o:p>
Ravindra Jadeja off Harshal Patel, 2021<o:p></o:p>
Rinku Singh off Yash Dayal, 2023<o:p></o:p>
Riyan Parag off Moeen Ali, 2025<o:p></o:p>
The Rajasthan Royals skipper was not done there as he hit a sixth consecutive six when he was back on strike in the next over when Varun Chakaravarthy had the ball.<o:p></o:p>
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-prabhsimran-singh-to-rahul-tewatia-five-uncapped-indian-batters-with-most-ipl-runs-manan-vohra-ayush-badoni-9032282" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">From Prabhsimran Singh to Rahul Tewatia five uncapped Indian batters with most IPL runs</a> 
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">RR lose another close contest<o:p></o:p></h2>
Having already lost close contests against Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan suffered another narrow defeat. Needing three runs to win on the final ball of the innings, RR managed to score only one run and therefore lost by one. The result had no implications for RR as they are already out of the IPL 2025 Playoff race. For KKR they keep their narrow Playoff hopes alive as they now have 11 points in 11 matches.<o:p></o:p>

Playing at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Riyan Parag entered record books by achieving the rare feat of scoring six consecutive sixes in T20 cricket. India News | Sports

Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag wreaked havoc in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) on Sunday as he hit six consecutive sixes on Sunday (May 4). Playing at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Parag entered record books by achieving the rare feat in T20 cricket. However, despite his blistering knock of 95 runs, Rajasthan Royals lost by one run in yet another close contest in IPL 2025. SIX CONSECUTIVE SIXES BY RIYAN PARAG...!!! 👑🔥#KKRvsRR pic.twitter.com/dEJxNUqlVZ — Chai_Sutta (@Chai_SuttaGuy) May 4, 2025 Parag enters record books Batting at the Eden Gardens, Parag and Co needed 207 runs to win as they struggled in the middle overs. However, the decisive moment arrived in the 13th over when Parag hit five consecutive sixes against Moeen Ali. He initially hit four sixes before Ali bowled a wide ball, but it could not break Parag’s momentum as he scored another six on the last ball of the over. This meant Ali gave away 32 runs in the 13th over, the second most expensive in IPL 2025. Batters to hit 5 sixes in an over in IPL Chris Gayle off Rahul Sharma, 2012 Rahul Tewatia off Sheldon Cottrell, 2020 Ravindra Jadeja off Harshal Patel, 2021 Rinku Singh off Yash Dayal, 2023 Riyan Parag off Moeen Ali, 2025 The Rajasthan Royals skipper was not done there as he hit a sixth consecutive six when he was back on strike in the next over when Varun Chakaravarthy had the ball. ALSO READ | From Prabhsimran Singh to Rahul Tewatia five uncapped Indian batters with most IPL runs RR lose another close contest Having already lost close contests against Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan suffered another narrow defeat. Needing three runs to win on the final ball of the innings, RR managed to score only one run and therefore lost by one. The result had no implications for RR as they are already out of the IPL 2025 Playoff race. For KKR they keep their narrow Playoff hopes alive as they now have 11 points in 11 matches.

IPL 2025: Riyan Parag hits 6 sixes in a row in KKR thriller, enters record books - Watch

Defending champions <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kolkata-knight-riders-kkr" rel="dofollow">Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/punjab-kings" rel="dofollow">Punjab Kings (PBKS)</a> shared a point each after rain forced this <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a> first no result in Kolkata on Saturday. Chasing 202 for victory, Kolkata were seven for one when rain stopped play, and after about 90 minutes, officials called off the match at Eden Gardens.<o:p></o:p>
Punjab, still searching for their first title in the popular T20 tournament, climbed a place to fourth in the 10-team table with five wins, three losses and one no result.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-ipl-2025-theres-no-mercybut-he-will-be-used-to-it-ravi-shastris-bold-prediction-for-14-year-old-vaibhav-suryavanshi-9005640" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: &lsquo;There&rsquo;s no mercy&hellip;but he will be used to it,&rsquo; Ravi Shastri&rsquo;s bold prediction for 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi</a> 
Kolkata, who won their third title last season, stay at seventh with three wins, five defeats and one no result.<o:p></o:p>
Punjab reached 201-4 after Priyansh Arya, who hit 69, and Prabhsimran Singh, who top-scored with 83, laid the foundations for the total in an opening stand of 120.<o:p></o:p>
The left-right batting combination of Arya and Prabhsimran mixed the right dose of caution and aggression to keep the opposition bowling in the hunt for the first 11 overs. Arya changed gears and raised his fifty in 27 balls with a four, six and four off pace bowler Harshit Rana and kept up the attack until his departure in the 12th over.<o:p></o:p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m9yjgb8w-xqxd924r-dd1tf4s3">
Stylish and Audacious 😎 A brilliant 120-run opening partnership comes to an end 👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PBKS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PBKS</a> 121/1 after 12 overs. Updates ▶ <a href="https://t.co/oVAArAaDRX">https://t.co/oVAArAaDRX</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKRvPBKS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKRvPBKS</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/PunjabKingsIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PunjabKingsIPL</a> <a href="https://t.co/o6U9uzFrNJ">pic.twitter.com/o6U9uzFrNJ</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1916146102258094449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
West Indies pace bowler Andre Russell got the breakthrough when Arya mis-timed a pull to be caught deep mid-wicket.<o:p></o:p>
Prabhsimran remained unaffected by his partner's departure and smashed the bowlers for fours and sixes, but fell to pace bowler Vaibhav Arora after his second half-century of this season.<o:p></o:p>
Kolkata's bowlers attempted to check the surge with key wickets, including Glenn Maxwell bowled by spinner Varun Chakravarthy and Marco Jansen out to Arora.<o:p></o:p>
The run-flow also dipped after the 15th over, but skipper Shreyas Iyer smashed an unbeaten 16-ball 25 and, along with England's Josh Inglis, on 11, took the team past 200.<o:p></o:p>
Kolkata began their chase with a cautious first over before rain stopped play and consistent drizzle made officials call off the game.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

While PBKS moved to the fourth spot following sharing a point with KKR, the hosts remained in the seventh position with seven points in nine games. Sports, Cricket

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) shared a point each after rain forced this IPL 2025 first no result in Kolkata on Saturday. Chasing 202 for victory, Kolkata were seven for one when rain stopped play, and after about 90 minutes, officials called off the match at Eden Gardens. Punjab, still searching for their first title in the popular T20 tournament, climbed a place to fourth in the 10-team table with five wins, three losses and one no result. Also read | IPL 2025: ‘There’s no mercy…but he will be used to it,’ Ravi Shastri’s bold prediction for 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi Kolkata, who won their third title last season, stay at seventh with three wins, five defeats and one no result. Punjab reached 201-4 after Priyansh Arya, who hit 69, and Prabhsimran Singh, who top-scored with 83, laid the foundations for the total in an opening stand of 120. The left-right batting combination of Arya and Prabhsimran mixed the right dose of caution and aggression to keep the opposition bowling in the hunt for the first 11 overs. Arya changed gears and raised his fifty in 27 balls with a four, six and four off pace bowler Harshit Rana and kept up the attack until his departure in the 12th over. Stylish and Audacious 😎 A brilliant 120-run opening partnership comes to an end 👏#PBKS 121/1 after 12 overs. Updates ▶ https://t.co/oVAArAaDRX #TATAIPL | #KKRvPBKS | @PunjabKingsIPL pic.twitter.com/o6U9uzFrNJ — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 26, 2025 West Indies pace bowler Andre Russell got the breakthrough when Arya mis-timed a pull to be caught deep mid-wicket. Prabhsimran remained unaffected by his partner's departure and smashed the bowlers for fours and sixes, but fell to pace bowler Vaibhav Arora after his second half-century of this season. Kolkata's bowlers attempted to check the surge with key wickets, including Glenn Maxwell bowled by spinner Varun Chakravarthy and Marco Jansen out to Arora. The run-flow also dipped after the 15th over, but skipper Shreyas Iyer smashed an unbeaten 16-ball 25 and, along with England's Josh Inglis, on 11, took the team past 200. Kolkata began their chase with a cautious first over before rain stopped play and consistent drizzle made officials call off the game. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

IPL 2025: No revenge for KKR against PBKS as rain plays spoilsport at Eden Gardens

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/punjab-kings" rel="dofollow">Punjab Kings</a> captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/shreyas-iyer" rel="dofollow">Shreyas Iyer</a> will hog all the limelight ahead of his team&rsquo;s away <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a> game against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kolkata-knight-riders-kkr" rel="dofollow">Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)</a> on Saturday (Apr 26). After winning perhaps the most exciting match of the season against the defending champions at their den earlier, PBKS will aim to complete a double this time; however, more so for their captain, who has more than a point to prove on his return to the Eden Gardens, per cricketer-turned-broadcaster Sunil Gavaskar.
Iyer was KKR's captain last season, helping them win their third IPL trophy, the third-most by any team in the tournament's history. Although the media and the fans hyped the then-team mentor, Gautam Gambhir, for the team&rsquo;s success with the BCCI rewarded him by replacing him with Rahul Dravid as Team India&rsquo;s all-format coach, Iyer&rsquo;s contribution failed to get the deserved acknowledgement.&nbsp;
It remained one of the reasons for a fallout between the KKR management and Iyer ahead of the mega IPL auction late last year, as the title holders decided against retaining him in the first place and later did not even bid for him. But as they say, one man&rsquo;s loss is another man&rsquo;s gain - someone took advantage of the situation and picked Iyer, with that team being none other than the Punjab Kings.
With the PBKS appointing Iyer&rsquo;s former Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting as the new franchise boss, he engineered Iyer&rsquo;s bid, successfully bagging his services for a whopping $3.13m (INR 26.75 crore) &ndash; making him the most expensive buy ever, only for Lucknow Super Giants to break the bank for Rishabh Pant later.
<h2>Iyer's run as PBKS captain</h2>
Meanwhile, Iyer made early inroads as PBKS' new captain, winning matches and putting his team ahead of others in the playoff race. As things stand, they are fifth on the points table with ten points from eight contested matches, needing another six at least to confirm their last-four berth. With six games remaining, with the next against KKR, PBKS will have plenty at hand to do.
"He will be fired up. And if he had been, you know, I've been out of form, if they had not done well, then one could understand. But the captain of a winning team not being retained will hurt. No question about it, that will hurt," Gavaskar said in a chat with the broadcasters, as quoted by India Today.
Continuing on this, Gavaskar argued that even though the massive IPL auction price might have softened the blow that Iyer took, it remains a consolation for a player of his calibre.&nbsp;
"Now he's got, he went for much, much more to PBKS, which is fine. That would have given him a little bit of consolation, but nobody wants to be left out, and that is the thing. So clearly, I think he will have a point to prove. Or maybe half a dozen points to prove," Gavaskar added.
Meanwhile, with six points from eight contested matches, KKR sits at the seventh spot on the points table.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Iyer was Kolkata Knight Riders' captain last season, helping them win their third IPL trophy, the third-most by any team in the tournament's history. Sports, Cricket

Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer will hog all the limelight ahead of his team’s away IPL 2025 game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Saturday (Apr 26). After winning perhaps the most exciting match of the season against the defending champions at their den earlier, PBKS will aim to complete a double this time; however, more so for their captain, who has more than a point to prove on his return to the Eden Gardens, per cricketer-turned-broadcaster Sunil Gavaskar. Iyer was KKR's captain last season, helping them win their third IPL trophy, the third-most by any team in the tournament's history. Although the media and the fans hyped the then-team mentor, Gautam Gambhir, for the team’s success with the BCCI rewarded him by replacing him with Rahul Dravid as Team India’s all-format coach, Iyer’s contribution failed to get the deserved acknowledgement. It remained one of the reasons for a fallout between the KKR management and Iyer ahead of the mega IPL auction late last year, as the title holders decided against retaining him in the first place and later did not even bid for him. But as they say, one man’s loss is another man’s gain - someone took advantage of the situation and picked Iyer, with that team being none other than the Punjab Kings. With the PBKS appointing Iyer’s former Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting as the new franchise boss, he engineered Iyer’s bid, successfully bagging his services for a whopping $3.13m (INR 26.75 crore) – making him the most expensive buy ever, only for Lucknow Super Giants to break the bank for Rishabh Pant later. Iyer's run as PBKS captain Meanwhile, Iyer made early inroads as PBKS' new captain, winning matches and putting his team ahead of others in the playoff race. As things stand, they are fifth on the points table with ten points from eight contested matches, needing another six at least to confirm their last-four berth. With six games remaining, with the next against KKR, PBKS will have plenty at hand to do. "He will be fired up. And if he had been, you know, I've been out of form, if they had not done well, then one could understand. But the captain of a winning team not being retained will hurt. No question about it, that will hurt," Gavaskar said in a chat with the broadcasters, as quoted by India Today. Continuing on this, Gavaskar argued that even though the massive IPL auction price might have softened the blow that Iyer took, it remains a consolation for a player of his calibre. "Now he's got, he went for much, much more to PBKS, which is fine. That would have given him a little bit of consolation, but nobody wants to be left out, and that is the thing. So clearly, I think he will have a point to prove. Or maybe half a dozen points to prove," Gavaskar added. Meanwhile, with six points from eight contested matches, KKR sits at the seventh spot on the points table. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: ‘He will be fired up,’ Gavaskar on Shreyas Iyer’s return to Eden Gardens against KKR

Jammu and Kashmir ace quick <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/umran-malik" rel="dofollow">Umran Malik</a> has rejoined <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kolkata-knight-riders-kkr" rel="dofollow">Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)</a> for the remainder of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a> but will not be part of their playing squad. Bought for INR 75 lakh at last year&rsquo;s December IPL auction, Umran got ruled out of the 18th edition due to an injury, with the franchise roping in seamer Chetan Sakariya as his replacement for the season.
Umran has joined the KKR squad to continue his rehabilitation and &lsquo;return to cricket&rsquo; programme for the remainder of the season. KKR&rsquo;s social media post confirmed it.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pahalgam-terror-attack-uncertainty-looms-over-psl-2025-after-pcb-deports-key-indian-broadcast-crew-report-9001867" rel="dofollow">Pahalgam terror attack: Uncertainty looms over PSL 2025 after PCB deports key Indian broadcast crew - Report</a>
&ldquo;⚡️#UmranMalik has joined the squad in Kolkata to continue his rehab and &ldquo;return to cricket&rdquo; programme with KKR for the remainder of the season.&nbsp; He&rsquo;s not joining as an official playing member of the squad, but will work with the team and support staff to get back to his best! Welcome to the family, Umran 💜,&rdquo; KKR&rsquo;s social media post read.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m9wxcjei-ic59vkgt-46cno204">
⚡️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UmranMalik?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UmranMalik</a> has joined the squad in Kolkata to continue his rehab and &ldquo;return to cricket&rdquo; programme with KKR for the remainder of the season. He&rsquo;s not joining as an official playing member of the squad, but will work with the team and support staff to get back to his best!&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/yAGcxhwTJX">pic.twitter.com/yAGcxhwTJX</a>
&mdash; KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKRiders/status/1915753654868729926?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://t.co/Ojbig6h2he">pic.twitter.com/Ojbig6h2he</a>
&mdash; KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKRiders/status/1915753978308268102?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
Meanwhile, following an initial outburst of fame after his blockbuster IPL debut in 2021, Umran earned his maiden BCCI contract, only to fall apart in his quest to become a regular across formats. Though he played a handful of white-ball matches, even on the away tours, Umran failed to stick around with his fitness and injuries, causing trouble. His last India match was back in 2023.&nbsp;
Besides, his spell with SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) was fruitful for him and the franchise at the beginning, but it failed to convert into a long-term plan, as SRH decided against retaining him ahead of the IPL 2025 auction.&nbsp;
Since his debut, Umran has played 26 IPL matches, featuring in just one complete season &ndash; 2022
<h2>KKR in IPL 2025</h2>
As things stand, KKR has won three out of the eight contested matches, reeling at the seventh spot on the points table with just six points.
Their next game is a home tie against high-flying Punjab Kings at the Eden Gardens on Saturday (Apr 26).&nbsp;

Bought for INR 75 lakh at the mega auction, Umran got ruled out of the IPL 2025 due to an injury, with KKR roping in Chetan Sakariya as his replacement. Sports, Cricket

Jammu and Kashmir ace quick Umran Malik has rejoined Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the remainder of IPL 2025 but will not be part of their playing squad. Bought for INR 75 lakh at last year’s December IPL auction, Umran got ruled out of the 18th edition due to an injury, with the franchise roping in seamer Chetan Sakariya as his replacement for the season. Umran has joined the KKR squad to continue his rehabilitation and ‘return to cricket’ programme for the remainder of the season. KKR’s social media post confirmed it. Also read | Pahalgam terror attack: Uncertainty looms over PSL 2025 after PCB deports key Indian broadcast crew - Report “⚡️#UmranMalik has joined the squad in Kolkata to continue his rehab and “return to cricket” programme with KKR for the remainder of the season. He’s not joining as an official playing member of the squad, but will work with the team and support staff to get back to his best! Welcome to the family, Umran 💜,” KKR’s social media post read. ⚡️#UmranMalik has joined the squad in Kolkata to continue his rehab and “return to cricket” programme with KKR for the remainder of the season. He’s not joining as an official playing member of the squad, but will work with the team and support staff to get back to his best!… pic.twitter.com/yAGcxhwTJX — KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 25, 2025 pic.twitter.com/Ojbig6h2he — KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 25, 2025 Meanwhile, following an initial outburst of fame after his blockbuster IPL debut in 2021, Umran earned his maiden BCCI contract, only to fall apart in his quest to become a regular across formats. Though he played a handful of white-ball matches, even on the away tours, Umran failed to stick around with his fitness and injuries, causing trouble. His last India match was back in 2023. Besides, his spell with SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) was fruitful for him and the franchise at the beginning, but it failed to convert into a long-term plan, as SRH decided against retaining him ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. Since his debut, Umran has played 26 IPL matches, featuring in just one complete season – 2022 KKR in IPL 2025 As things stand, KKR has won three out of the eight contested matches, reeling at the seventh spot on the points table with just six points. Their next game is a home tie against high-flying Punjab Kings at the Eden Gardens on Saturday (Apr 26).

IPL 2025: Kashmir quick Umran Malik joins KKR but will not play this season, know why

Defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Dwayne Bravo has lashed out at top order batters after their 39-run loss against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Monday (Apr 21). It was KKR's fifth loss in eight games and they now have the season in danger with six more games left to play. Bravo made the comments on top batters in defence of all-rounder Andre Russell who once again failed with the bat.
"Andre Russell is an experienced and successful player. Yes, in a couple of games, the leg-spinners got him out. But I don't think we are batting well as a team. That is the reality. Russell is not the only one struggling. As a group, we have to ensure players are backed. We need to keep preparing well. IPL is a tough tournament. If you don't start well, batters can go into a period where they lose confidence," Bravo told reporters after the game.
Also Read - <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/cricket-only-rohit-can-answer-that-australia-legend-steve-waugh-on-indian-captains-future-in-tests-8987418" aria-label="&lsquo;Only Rohit can answer that&rsquo;: Australia legend Steve Waugh on Indian captain&rsquo;s future in Tests">&lsquo;Only Rohit can answer that&rsquo;: Australia legend Steve Waugh on Indian captain&rsquo;s future in Tests</a>
Russell could manage only 21 off 14 balls before being outfoxed by Rashid Khan - second time in season he has been dismissed by a leg spinner. This concern, however, was put aside by Bravo as nothing.
"Not every team has leg-spinners and today he was up against a quality spinner like Rashid Khan. When Russell walks in to bat, every time the run rate is at 14 or 15 runs per over. Work needs to be done at the top to give him a chance to finish off games like he has been doing all these years for KKR. Yes, leg-spinners got him out a few times, but I don't think that is a big concern. We just need to bat better (at the top) to allow our finishers the chance to finish games," he added.
Chasing 199, KKR were never in hunt despite having enough wickets in hand at the half-way mark. GT, on the other hand, consolidated their top position with sixth win in eight games.

Russell could manage only 21 off 14 balls before being outfoxed by Rashid Khan - second time in season he has been dismissed by a leg spinner. This concern, however, was put aside by Bravo as nothing.

Defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Dwayne Bravo has lashed out at top order batters after their 39-run loss against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Monday (Apr 21). It was KKR's fifth loss in eight games and they now have the season in danger with six more games left to play. Bravo made the comments on top batters in defence of all-rounder Andre Russell who once again failed with the bat. "Andre Russell is an experienced and successful player. Yes, in a couple of games, the leg-spinners got him out. But I don't think we are batting well as a team. That is the reality. Russell is not the only one struggling. As a group, we have to ensure players are backed. We need to keep preparing well. IPL is a tough tournament. If you don't start well, batters can go into a period where they lose confidence," Bravo told reporters after the game. Also Read - ‘Only Rohit can answer that’: Australia legend Steve Waugh on Indian captain’s future in Tests Russell could manage only 21 off 14 balls before being outfoxed by Rashid Khan - second time in season he has been dismissed by a leg spinner. This concern, however, was put aside by Bravo as nothing. "Not every team has leg-spinners and today he was up against a quality spinner like Rashid Khan. When Russell walks in to bat, every time the run rate is at 14 or 15 runs per over. Work needs to be done at the top to give him a chance to finish off games like he has been doing all these years for KKR. Yes, leg-spinners got him out a few times, but I don't think that is a big concern. We just need to bat better (at the top) to allow our finishers the chance to finish games," he added. Chasing 199, KKR were never in hunt despite having enough wickets in hand at the half-way mark. GT, on the other hand, consolidated their top position with sixth win in eight games.

IPL 2025 | KKR mentor Bravo lashes out at top order batters in defence of out-of-form Russell

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has written to the apex body &ndash; the BCCI, seeking a ban on star broadcasters Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull from commentating during the remainder of IPL 2025 matches at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, per the latest report. In an explosive yet strong letter to the BCCI, the CAB expressed reservations over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-harsha-bhogle-simon-doull-unhappy-with-kkr-pitch-curator-for-disrespecting-ajinkya-rahane-8895205" rel="dofollow">Bhogle and Doull&rsquo;s remarks criticising the Eden pitch curator</a> Sujan Mukherjee.
It all began following Kolkata Knight Riders&rsquo; (KKR) tournament opener against RCB at the Eden Gardens, which the visitors won by seven wickets. After the KKR pitch curator denied preparing a spin-friendly track and instead offered the one where seamers had more purchase, team captain Ajinkya Rahane showed displeasure over the same during the post-match presentation.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-central-contract-list-abhishek-sharma-harshit-rana-among-newcomers-added-shreyas-iyer-ishan-kishan-back-rohit-kohli-bumrah-check-full-list-8985078" rel="dofollow">BCCI central contract list: Abhishek Sharma among newcomers added; Iyer, Kishan are back - Check full list</a>
Speaking on the same lines, TV broadcasters Bhogle and Doull slammed the KKR pitch curator (after KKR&rsquo;s away win against Rajasthan Royals) for not listening to the home team&rsquo;s demand, arguing that KKR should move their home matches outside the Eden Gardens and host them elsewhere.&nbsp;
&ldquo;...I saw something what the KKR curator has said. If I'm in the KKR camp, I'm extremely unhappy of what he said because I'm not asking for a 120 surface. I'm just saying, give me a surface where my bowlers can win matches. To say, 'Sorry, we don't prepare pitches like that...' No. We are not asking you to make a 120 pitch, we are not asking you to make a 240 pitch.&nbsp;
&ldquo;But I think home advantage in a tournament like IPL is absolutely legitimate. That will enhance the tournament because winning away becomes crucial then," Bhogle said in a Cricbuzz show.
Meanwhile, Simon Doull went one step ahead, saying, &ldquo;If he's not taking heed of what the home team wants... I mean, they are paying the stadium fees, they are paying for what's going on in the IPL, but if he's still not paying heed to what the home team wants, then just move the franchise away to somewhere else.
"His job is not to pass an opinion on the game. That's not what he's paid for,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;
<h2>'He's just following BCCI's rule book' - CAB on KKR pitch curator</h2>
Although there was plenty of two and fro surrounding this earlier, where Sujan first denied rejecting Rahane&rsquo;s plea to prepare spin-friendly tracks in home matches to later admitting doing away with that, claiming <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-kkr-pitch-curator-does-u-turn-in-ajinkya-rahane-episode-says-those-who-are-accusing-me-sujan-mukherjee-8898729" rel="dofollow">he just followed BCCI&rsquo;s guidelines</a>, the CAB has thrown its weight behind him for the same reason.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-coach-chandrakant-pandit-backs-ajinkya-rahane-over-eden-gardens-pitch-controversy-bats-for-favourable-home-conditions-kkr-vs-mi-8907831" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: KKR coach backs Rahane over &lsquo;Eden Gardens pitch controversy&rsquo;, bats for &lsquo;favourable home conditions&rsquo;</a>
CAB argues that Sujan followed the BCCI&rsquo;s rule book, which states that no IPL franchise shall have a say in deciding a wicket&rsquo;s nature anywhere, let&nbsp;alone at home.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, the report further suggests that BCCI hasn't responded to the letter yet, adding neither Bhogle nor Doull will be present at the venue for the side&rsquo;s home game against Gujarat Titans on Monday (Apr 21).&nbsp;
Sujan, however, commented on this matter earlier, saying, "I do not have to bother about what Harsha Bhogle or Simon Doull said. What matters to me is what the spectators and my association say about the wicket. I am accountable to the BCCI for producing a good sporting wicket."
(With inputs from agencies)

In an explosive yet strong letter to the BCCI, the CAB expressed reservations over Bhogle and Doull’s remarks criticising the Eden pitch curator. Sports, Cricket

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has written to the apex body – the BCCI, seeking a ban on star broadcasters Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull from commentating during the remainder of IPL 2025 matches at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, per the latest report. In an explosive yet strong letter to the BCCI, the CAB expressed reservations over Bhogle and Doull’s remarks criticising the Eden pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee. It all began following Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) tournament opener against RCB at the Eden Gardens, which the visitors won by seven wickets. After the KKR pitch curator denied preparing a spin-friendly track and instead offered the one where seamers had more purchase, team captain Ajinkya Rahane showed displeasure over the same during the post-match presentation. Also read | BCCI central contract list: Abhishek Sharma among newcomers added; Iyer, Kishan are back - Check full list Speaking on the same lines, TV broadcasters Bhogle and Doull slammed the KKR pitch curator (after KKR’s away win against Rajasthan Royals) for not listening to the home team’s demand, arguing that KKR should move their home matches outside the Eden Gardens and host them elsewhere. “...I saw something what the KKR curator has said. If I'm in the KKR camp, I'm extremely unhappy of what he said because I'm not asking for a 120 surface. I'm just saying, give me a surface where my bowlers can win matches. To say, 'Sorry, we don't prepare pitches like that...' No. We are not asking you to make a 120 pitch, we are not asking you to make a 240 pitch. “But I think home advantage in a tournament like IPL is absolutely legitimate. That will enhance the tournament because winning away becomes crucial then," Bhogle said in a Cricbuzz show. Meanwhile, Simon Doull went one step ahead, saying, “If he's not taking heed of what the home team wants... I mean, they are paying the stadium fees, they are paying for what's going on in the IPL, but if he's still not paying heed to what the home team wants, then just move the franchise away to somewhere else. "His job is not to pass an opinion on the game. That's not what he's paid for,” he added. 'He's just following BCCI's rule book' - CAB on KKR pitch curator Although there was plenty of two and fro surrounding this earlier, where Sujan first denied rejecting Rahane’s plea to prepare spin-friendly tracks in home matches to later admitting doing away with that, claiming he just followed BCCI’s guidelines, the CAB has thrown its weight behind him for the same reason. Also read | IPL 2025: KKR coach backs Rahane over ‘Eden Gardens pitch controversy’, bats for ‘favourable home conditions’ CAB argues that Sujan followed the BCCI’s rule book, which states that no IPL franchise shall have a say in deciding a wicket’s nature anywhere, let alone at home. Meanwhile, the report further suggests that BCCI hasn't responded to the letter yet, adding neither Bhogle nor Doull will be present at the venue for the side’s home game against Gujarat Titans on Monday (Apr 21). Sujan, however, commented on this matter earlier, saying, "I do not have to bother about what Harsha Bhogle or Simon Doull said. What matters to me is what the spectators and my association say about the wicket. I am accountable to the BCCI for producing a good sporting wicket." (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: Ban star commentators, demands Bengal cricket body over KKR pitch row - Report

Former Team India assistant batting coach <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/abhishek-nayar" rel="dofollow">Abhishek Nayar</a> has found solace in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a> return, just days after the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cricket-abhishek-nayar-t-dilip-sacked-by-bcci-from-gautam-gambhirs-cpaching-staff-after-poor-display-in-australia-report-8970874" rel="dofollow">Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) cut short his national contract</a> midway through the season. The former Mumbai all-rounder has rejoined Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as part of their backroom staff, attending the team&rsquo;s training session from Saturday (Apr 19) onwards, IPL franchise KKR announced in a statement.
"Abhishek Nayar has rejoined our support staff. He is likely to be at training at Eden today," KKR&rsquo;s statement read, per Cricbuzz.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m9o7nzt2-e3kkhyq1-t5vfkf0j">
Welcome back home, <a href="https://twitter.com/abhisheknayar1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@abhisheknayar1</a> 💜 <a href="https://t.co/IwJQTnAWxa">pic.twitter.com/IwJQTnAWxa</a>
&mdash; KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKRiders/status/1913559286132637967?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
Nayar is no next-door backroom staff member at the franchise, as he has been their man behind the scenes, working on grooming players in their academy over the years. Despite such credentials besides his name, the BCCI decided against renewing his central contract, due in June this year, following Team India&rsquo;s batting failure during their past two Test series (against New Zealand at home and Australia Down Under), which they lost.&nbsp;
While India&rsquo;s batting failure on the rank turners at home brought shame, as they surrendered the Test series (0-3) for the first time in history, failing to deliver against the famous Aussie pace attack despite drawing first blood in the series, it mounted pressure on Abhishek.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-ipl-2025-gujarat-titans-gt-coach-ashish-nehra-handpicks-india-fielder-bigger-than-jonty-rhodes-ravindra-jadeja-8979643" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: GT coach Ashish Nehra handpicks THIS India fielder bigger than Jonty Rhodes</a>
Following the horrendous tour Down Under, where India conceded the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade and the chance to qualify for their third straight WTC Final (in June), the BCCI conducted a review meeting, where Nayar&rsquo;s role came under the scanner. While multiple voices within the management raised questions about his responsibilities, feedback from the players helped the BCCI conclude it.&nbsp;
However, it&rsquo;s the first instance in Indian Cricket history that the board terminated a backroom staff member&rsquo;s contract handpicked by the head coach (Gautam Gambhir here).&nbsp;
<h2>KKR to the Indian Team to back to KKR</h2>
Meanwhile, after Gambhir mentored KKR to its third IPL title last year, the BCCI appointed him as Rahul Dravid&rsquo;s replacement as Team India&rsquo;s all-format head coach. Nayar, who was part of KKR&rsquo;s backroom staff last season, joined Gambhir in the Indian camp last year, only for him to vacate the spot ahead of a heavy away summer.&nbsp;
Besides Nayar, the BCCI also sacked the fielding coach, T Dilip, and the conditioning coach, Soham Desai, with the Indian Cricket Board deciding to implement the new changes ahead of the England Test series, starting shortly after the IPL 2025.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

It’s the first time in Indian Cricket history that the BCCI terminated a backroom staff member’s contract, handpicked by the head coach (Gambhir here). Sports, Cricket

Former Team India assistant batting coach Abhishek Nayar has found solace in IPL 2025 return, just days after the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) cut short his national contract midway through the season. The former Mumbai all-rounder has rejoined Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as part of their backroom staff, attending the team’s training session from Saturday (Apr 19) onwards, IPL franchise KKR announced in a statement. "Abhishek Nayar has rejoined our support staff. He is likely to be at training at Eden today," KKR’s statement read, per Cricbuzz. Welcome back home, @abhisheknayar1 💜 pic.twitter.com/IwJQTnAWxa — KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 19, 2025 Nayar is no next-door backroom staff member at the franchise, as he has been their man behind the scenes, working on grooming players in their academy over the years. Despite such credentials besides his name, the BCCI decided against renewing his central contract, due in June this year, following Team India’s batting failure during their past two Test series (against New Zealand at home and Australia Down Under), which they lost. While India’s batting failure on the rank turners at home brought shame, as they surrendered the Test series (0-3) for the first time in history, failing to deliver against the famous Aussie pace attack despite drawing first blood in the series, it mounted pressure on Abhishek. Also read | IPL 2025: GT coach Ashish Nehra handpicks THIS India fielder bigger than Jonty Rhodes Following the horrendous tour Down Under, where India conceded the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade and the chance to qualify for their third straight WTC Final (in June), the BCCI conducted a review meeting, where Nayar’s role came under the scanner. While multiple voices within the management raised questions about his responsibilities, feedback from the players helped the BCCI conclude it. However, it’s the first instance in Indian Cricket history that the board terminated a backroom staff member’s contract handpicked by the head coach (Gautam Gambhir here). KKR to the Indian Team to back to KKR Meanwhile, after Gambhir mentored KKR to its third IPL title last year, the BCCI appointed him as Rahul Dravid’s replacement as Team India’s all-format head coach. Nayar, who was part of KKR’s backroom staff last season, joined Gambhir in the Indian camp last year, only for him to vacate the spot ahead of a heavy away summer. Besides Nayar, the BCCI also sacked the fielding coach, T Dilip, and the conditioning coach, Soham Desai, with the Indian Cricket Board deciding to implement the new changes ahead of the England Test series, starting shortly after the IPL 2025. (With inputs from agencies)

Abhishek Nayar finds solace in IPL 2025 return after BCCI cuts short contract

In a bizarre incident during the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in New Chandigarh on Tuesday (Apr 15), two bats failed the gauge bat size check sparking confusion and delays in the low-scoring thriller. With the batting advantage on the rise each season, the IPL seems to be drawing the line on oversized bats.
Earlier, such bat inspections were carried out inside the dressing room. But starting this week, umpires have begun conducting checks on the field as seen in other recent IPL games. As per IPL rules, a bat's width must not exceed 10.79 cm, blade thickness must stay under 6.7 cm, and edges not more than 4cm. Length-wise, it should be under 96.4 cm.
Also Read - <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-ipl-2025-skipper-rahane-blasts-kkr-batters-for-reckless-performance-takes-full-blame-for-8967980" aria-label="IPL 2025 | Skipper Rahane blasts KKR batters for 'reckless' performance vs PBKS, takes full blame for...">IPL 2025 | Skipper Rahane blasts KKR batters for 'reckless' performance vs PBKS, takes full blame for...</a>
Just before KKR began chasing a low total of 111 in Mullanpur, KKR opener Sunil Narine&rsquo;s bat was ruled illegal. Reserve umpire Saiyed Khalid conducted pre-innings checks near the dugout when Narine&rsquo;s bat couldn&rsquo;t pass the official gauge. He was seen having a brief discussion with the umpire, while the impact sub for KKR Angkrish Raghuvanshi&rsquo;s bat check was cleared.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Glad Narine is getting pulled up at least while batting. <a href="https://t.co/GziclyTc1x">pic.twitter.com/GziclyTc1x</a>
&mdash; Sunil (@Hitting_Middle) <a href="https://twitter.com/Hitting_Middle/status/1912386307969392653?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Narine, who earlier impressed with the ball (2 for 14 in 3 overs), could score only 5 runs off 4 balls while Raghuvanshi top-scored with 37 off 28, but KKR&rsquo;s chase collapsed from a strong 62 for 2 to all out, handing PBKS a dramatic win.
The drama didn&rsquo;t end there. In the 16th over, with KKR nine wickets down, Anrich Nortje walked out but his bat too was rejected by the on-field umpires Mohit Krishnadas and Saidharshan Kumar. The match was paused as Rahmanullah Gurbaz ran in with spare bats. A replacement was cleared, but Nortje never faced a ball as Andre Russell was bowled right after by Macro Jansen.
PBKS are now fourth on the points table with eight points from four wins in six games. They next play Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 18.
Defending champions KKR, on the other hand, are on sixth place with six points from three wins and four losses in seven games. They next play Gujarat Titans on April 21.

As per IPL rules, a bat's width must not exceed 10.79 cm, blade thickness must stay under 6.7 cm, and edges not more than 4cm. Length-wise, it should be under 96.4 cm. Cricket Sports

In a bizarre incident during the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in New Chandigarh on Tuesday (Apr 15), two bats failed the gauge bat size check sparking confusion and delays in the low-scoring thriller. With the batting advantage on the rise each season, the IPL seems to be drawing the line on oversized bats. Earlier, such bat inspections were carried out inside the dressing room. But starting this week, umpires have begun conducting checks on the field as seen in other recent IPL games. As per IPL rules, a bat's width must not exceed 10.79 cm, blade thickness must stay under 6.7 cm, and edges not more than 4cm. Length-wise, it should be under 96.4 cm. Also Read - IPL 2025 | Skipper Rahane blasts KKR batters for 'reckless' performance vs PBKS, takes full blame for... Just before KKR began chasing a low total of 111 in Mullanpur, KKR opener Sunil Narine’s bat was ruled illegal. Reserve umpire Saiyed Khalid conducted pre-innings checks near the dugout when Narine’s bat couldn’t pass the official gauge. He was seen having a brief discussion with the umpire, while the impact sub for KKR Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s bat check was cleared. Glad Narine is getting pulled up at least while batting. pic.twitter.com/GziclyTc1x — Sunil (@Hitting_Middle) April 16, 2025 Narine, who earlier impressed with the ball (2 for 14 in 3 overs), could score only 5 runs off 4 balls while Raghuvanshi top-scored with 37 off 28, but KKR’s chase collapsed from a strong 62 for 2 to all out, handing PBKS a dramatic win. The drama didn’t end there. In the 16th over, with KKR nine wickets down, Anrich Nortje walked out but his bat too was rejected by the on-field umpires Mohit Krishnadas and Saidharshan Kumar. The match was paused as Rahmanullah Gurbaz ran in with spare bats. A replacement was cleared, but Nortje never faced a ball as Andre Russell was bowled right after by Macro Jansen. PBKS are now fourth on the points table with eight points from four wins in six games. They next play Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 18. Defending champions KKR, on the other hand, are on sixth place with six points from three wins and four losses in seven games. They next play Gujarat Titans on April 21.

IPL 2025 | KKR's Sunil Narine and Anrich Nortje's bats fail gauge check in loss vs PBKS - WATCH

Punjab Kings performed the heist of IPL history on Tuesday (Apr 15) after beating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 16 runs while defending 111. It is now the lowest total ever defended by an IPL team in the tournament history. The win was even special for skipper Shreyas Iyer as it came against his previous franchise which let him go ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.
After the sensation win, Iyer shared some pictures on his social media handle X with the caption 'Chardi Kala' which is Punjabi for 'ever rising spirits' which was definitely the mood in PBKS camp after the win. Have a look at the post below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Chardi Kala ❤️ <a href="https://twitter.com/PunjabKingsIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PunjabKingsIPL</a> 🫶 <a href="https://t.co/mIZUhl3Gb7">pic.twitter.com/mIZUhl3Gb7</a>
&mdash; Shreyas Iyer (@ShreyasIyer15) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShreyasIyer15/status/1912401566989951284?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The win came three days after PBKS failed to defend 245 against SunRisers Hyderabad as Abhishek Sharma took upon himself with a 55-ball 141 to bring Iyer's side down.
Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-ipl-2025-chahal-took-fitness-test-before-match-reveals-coach-ponting-after-pbks-stun-kkr-8967423">IPL 2025 | Chahal took fitness test before match, reveals coach Ponting after PBKS stun KKR</a>
The architect of the win was spinner Yuzvendra Chahal who returned with the figures of 4/28 in four overs including his 16-run last over of the quota. PBKS coach Ricky Ponting also revealed that he had undergone fitness test before coming into the game and he was sensational.
KKR were in cruise control mode at 62/2 in a chase of 112 but then Rahane was dismissed and the floodgates opened. After Chahal sent back Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Maxwell removed Venkatesh Iyer and KKR were suddenly 74/5.
In the next over, Chahal removed Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh on two consecutive balls to break the chase open. Marco Jansen removed Harshit Rana in the next over before returning to dismiss Andre Russell as the last wicket.
PBKS are now fourth on the points table with eight points from four wins in six games. They next play Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 18.
Defending champions KKR, on the other hand, are on sixth place with six points from three wins and four losses in seven games. They next play Gujarat Titans on April 21.

The win was even special for skipper Shreyas Iyer as it came against his previous franchise which let him go ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Cricket Sports

Punjab Kings performed the heist of IPL history on Tuesday (Apr 15) after beating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 16 runs while defending 111. It is now the lowest total ever defended by an IPL team in the tournament history. The win was even special for skipper Shreyas Iyer as it came against his previous franchise which let him go ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. After the sensation win, Iyer shared some pictures on his social media handle X with the caption 'Chardi Kala' which is Punjabi for 'ever rising spirits' which was definitely the mood in PBKS camp after the win. Have a look at the post below: Chardi Kala ❤️ @PunjabKingsIPL 🫶 pic.twitter.com/mIZUhl3Gb7 — Shreyas Iyer (@ShreyasIyer15) April 16, 2025 The win came three days after PBKS failed to defend 245 against SunRisers Hyderabad as Abhishek Sharma took upon himself with a 55-ball 141 to bring Iyer's side down. Also Read - IPL 2025 | Chahal took fitness test before match, reveals coach Ponting after PBKS stun KKR The architect of the win was spinner Yuzvendra Chahal who returned with the figures of 4/28 in four overs including his 16-run last over of the quota. PBKS coach Ricky Ponting also revealed that he had undergone fitness test before coming into the game and he was sensational. KKR were in cruise control mode at 62/2 in a chase of 112 but then Rahane was dismissed and the floodgates opened. After Chahal sent back Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Maxwell removed Venkatesh Iyer and KKR were suddenly 74/5. In the next over, Chahal removed Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh on two consecutive balls to break the chase open. Marco Jansen removed Harshit Rana in the next over before returning to dismiss Andre Russell as the last wicket. PBKS are now fourth on the points table with eight points from four wins in six games. They next play Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 18. Defending champions KKR, on the other hand, are on sixth place with six points from three wins and four losses in seven games. They next play Gujarat Titans on April 21.

IPL 2025 | PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer wins heart with TWO-WORD post after win vs KKR

Punjab Kings coach Ricky Ponting referred the stunning win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2025 on Tuesday (Apr 15) as the best of his career. PBKS were given no chance after folding out for 111 but they managed to defend that total - three days after they failed to secure a win despite posting 245 on the board.
"I couldn't have been prouder of us in the second half, the batting was poor, but if we had gone down in a close one, I thought this was a season defining moment. I reckon at the half way mark there weren't too many people around the world who would have defended that. That might just be about the best win I've ever had as coach," Ponting said at the post-match presentation.
Also Read -&nbsp;<a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/olympics/cricket-la-2028-games-ioc-reveals-venue-for-crickets-olympics-return-8966048" aria-label="LA 2028 Games: IOC reveals venue for cricket&rsquo;s Olympics return">LA 2028 Games: IOC reveals venue for cricket&rsquo;s Olympics return</a>
The architect of the win was spinner Yuzvendra Chahal who returned with the figures of 4/28 in four overs including his 16-run last over of the quota. Ponting revealed that he had undergone fitness test before coming into the game and he was sensational.
"How about Chahal tonight? He actually had a fitness test before the game tonight, I asked him if he was okay, he said he was ready to go," Ponting revealed.&nbsp;
KKR were in cruise control mode at 62/2 in a chase of 112 but then Rahane was dismissed and the floodgates opened. After Chahal sent back Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Maxwell removed Venkatesh Iyer and KKR were suddenly 74/5.
In the next over, Chahal removed Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh on two consecutive balls to break the chase open. Marco Jansen removed Harshit Rana in the next over before returning to dismiss Andre Russell as the last wicket.
The 16-run win by PBKS came in an IPL record - smallest total defended and with that the winning team now sits on fourth place with four wins and eight points from six games.

The architect of the win was spinner Yuzvendra Chahal who returned with the figures of 4/28 in four overs including his 16-run last over of the quota. Cricket Sports

Punjab Kings coach Ricky Ponting referred the stunning win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2025 on Tuesday (Apr 15) as the best of his career. PBKS were given no chance after folding out for 111 but they managed to defend that total - three days after they failed to secure a win despite posting 245 on the board. "I couldn't have been prouder of us in the second half, the batting was poor, but if we had gone down in a close one, I thought this was a season defining moment. I reckon at the half way mark there weren't too many people around the world who would have defended that. That might just be about the best win I've ever had as coach," Ponting said at the post-match presentation. Also Read - LA 2028 Games: IOC reveals venue for cricket’s Olympics return The architect of the win was spinner Yuzvendra Chahal who returned with the figures of 4/28 in four overs including his 16-run last over of the quota. Ponting revealed that he had undergone fitness test before coming into the game and he was sensational. "How about Chahal tonight? He actually had a fitness test before the game tonight, I asked him if he was okay, he said he was ready to go," Ponting revealed. KKR were in cruise control mode at 62/2 in a chase of 112 but then Rahane was dismissed and the floodgates opened. After Chahal sent back Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Maxwell removed Venkatesh Iyer and KKR were suddenly 74/5. In the next over, Chahal removed Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh on two consecutive balls to break the chase open. Marco Jansen removed Harshit Rana in the next over before returning to dismiss Andre Russell as the last wicket. The 16-run win by PBKS came in an IPL record - smallest total defended and with that the winning team now sits on fourth place with four wins and eight points from six games.

IPL 2025 | Chahal took fitness test before match, reveals coach Ponting after PBKS stun KKR

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star player and stand-in captain for this season, MS Dhoni, feels his team still can pull themselves from this position after suffering a historic low in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a>. For the first time, CSK lost five straight games in a season, with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ipl-2025-ms-dhoni-csk-fall-flat-after-sunil-narine-all-round-show-steers-kkr-home-eight-wickets-8952666" rel="dofollow">latest coming against the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at home by eight wickets</a> on Friday.
Dhoni urged the team to &lsquo;look deep inside&rsquo; after being crushed by KKR, which completed the run chase with almost ten overs remaining.
&ldquo;I think it's quite a few nights haven't gone our way. What is important is to look deep down inside. I feel the challenge was there, but it's important to accept that challenge, figure out ways how you'll tackle the difficult deliveries and then look to get runs on the board. Today, I felt we didn't really have enough runs on the board,&rdquo; Dhoni said after the game.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ipl-2025-save-you-eardrums-crowd-goes-bonkers-as-csks-ms-dhoni-returns-to-toss-after-683-days-watch-8952260" rel="dofollow">Dhoni&rsquo;s return to the toss after 683 days did cheer the crowd</a>, but his team&rsquo;s horrific batting left them shattered and hopeless. Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first, with his team failing to register a fighting total on a difficult Chepauk track.&nbsp;
Thanks to Shivam Dube&rsquo;s unbeaten 31 and a gritty 29 from Vijay Shankar earlier, CSK could cross the 100-run-mark, scoring 103/9 in 20 overs &ndash; their lowest team total at home and third lowest overall.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cricket-csk-kkr-ipl-2025-ms-dhoni-dismissal-sparks-debate-as-csk-captain-falls-cheaply-to-old-foe-sunil-narine-watch-8952498" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: MS Dhoni&rsquo;s dismissal sparks debate as CSK captain falls cheaply to old foe Narine - Watch</a>
"Yes, it did [stop], but it has been the case over here," Dhoni said about the conditions.&nbsp;
"Whenever we bowled first, even in the second innings, it stopped a bit. But today, in the first innings, also it was stopping. But also, if you lose too many wickets, it looks very different because it puts pressure on the batsman who is going in and with quality spinners, it becomes slightly difficult, and we never really got any kind of partnerships going.&nbsp;
&ldquo;So, that also makes it tough. I feel overall a bit more partnerships, a bit more runs, a bit more application, and we'll be on track,&rdquo; he continued.
<h2>&lsquo;No need to match someone&rsquo;</h2>
Unlike every other team this season, CSK has failed to score runs inside the Powerplay, with the results there for everyone to see. Addressing this issue, Dhoni said his team has some of the best openers and batters (lower down the order), but failing to apply themselves better has cost them.&nbsp;
Dhoni added that they are not playing to match anyone else; instead, they want to read the conditions better in the games to come and make the most of it.
&ldquo;What is important is our openers are good, and they just need to back themselves and play authentic cricket shots. They're not the ones who will start slogging or look to hit across the line. But what is also important is not to get desperate seeing the scoreboard,&rdquo; Dhoni added.
(With inputs from agencies)

MS Dhoni urged his team CSK to ‘look deep inside’ after being crushed by KKR, which completed the run chase with almost ten overs remaining. India news, Cricket, Sports

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star player and stand-in captain for this season, MS Dhoni, feels his team still can pull themselves from this position after suffering a historic low in IPL 2025. For the first time, CSK lost five straight games in a season, with the latest coming against the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at home by eight wickets on Friday. Dhoni urged the team to ‘look deep inside’ after being crushed by KKR, which completed the run chase with almost ten overs remaining. “I think it's quite a few nights haven't gone our way. What is important is to look deep down inside. I feel the challenge was there, but it's important to accept that challenge, figure out ways how you'll tackle the difficult deliveries and then look to get runs on the board. Today, I felt we didn't really have enough runs on the board,” Dhoni said after the game. Dhoni’s return to the toss after 683 days did cheer the crowd, but his team’s horrific batting left them shattered and hopeless. Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first, with his team failing to register a fighting total on a difficult Chepauk track. Thanks to Shivam Dube’s unbeaten 31 and a gritty 29 from Vijay Shankar earlier, CSK could cross the 100-run-mark, scoring 103/9 in 20 overs – their lowest team total at home and third lowest overall. Also read | IPL 2025: MS Dhoni’s dismissal sparks debate as CSK captain falls cheaply to old foe Narine - Watch "Yes, it did [stop], but it has been the case over here," Dhoni said about the conditions. "Whenever we bowled first, even in the second innings, it stopped a bit. But today, in the first innings, also it was stopping. But also, if you lose too many wickets, it looks very different because it puts pressure on the batsman who is going in and with quality spinners, it becomes slightly difficult, and we never really got any kind of partnerships going. “So, that also makes it tough. I feel overall a bit more partnerships, a bit more runs, a bit more application, and we'll be on track,” he continued. ‘No need to match someone’ Unlike every other team this season, CSK has failed to score runs inside the Powerplay, with the results there for everyone to see. Addressing this issue, Dhoni said his team has some of the best openers and batters (lower down the order), but failing to apply themselves better has cost them. Dhoni added that they are not playing to match anyone else; instead, they want to read the conditions better in the games to come and make the most of it. “What is important is our openers are good, and they just need to back themselves and play authentic cricket shots. They're not the ones who will start slogging or look to hit across the line. But what is also important is not to get desperate seeing the scoreboard,” Dhoni added. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: MS Dhoni backs CSK to chase title dream despite historic low in home loss against KKR

MS Dhoni&rsquo;s first game as CSK captain in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a> was one to forget for him, the team and the fans. The hosts lost their fifth straight match this season, going down to the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by eight wickets on Friday. Dhoni captained CSK for the first time since leading the side to the title in 2023, but the game&rsquo;s outcome left everyone worried in the CSK camp.
After Ruturaj Gaikwad got ruled out of the tournament due to a fracture in his elbow, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ms-dhoni-to-captain-csk-in-ipl-2025-after-regular-captain-ruled-out-with-injury-report-8947982" rel="dofollow">CSK reappointed MS Dhoni as the team captain</a> for the remainder of the season. In his first game as the CSK captain this year, a position he held from 2008 to 2023, Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first. Considering the pitch&rsquo;s nature, which is bound to change in the second innings, it looked like a great call until the collapse happened.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ipl-2025-save-you-eardrums-crowd-goes-bonkers-as-csks-ms-dhoni-returns-to-toss-after-683-days-watch-8952260" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: Save your eardrums! Crowd goes bonkers as CSK&rsquo;s MS Dhoni returns to toss after 683 days &ndash; Watch</a>
CSK openers departed early inside the Powerplay, only for the middle order and the tail to suffer KKR&rsquo;s spin twins&rsquo; wrath later in the innings. Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy picked five wickets between them, with Harshit Rana returning with two to his name.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cricket-csk-kkr-ipl-2025-ms-dhoni-dismissal-sparks-debate-as-csk-captain-falls-cheaply-to-old-foe-sunil-narine-watch-8952498" rel="dofollow">Dhoni&rsquo;s cheap dismissal on just one did spark controversy</a>, but even that couldn&rsquo;t cloud CSK&rsquo;s horrible batting show as they registered a paltry 103 for nine in 20 overs, their third-lowest IPL total and the lowest at home.
<h2>KKR&rsquo;s statement wins</h2>
Up against an attacking batting pair of Narine and Quinton de Kock, CSK&rsquo;s new ball bowlers failed to leave any impact, conceding fours and sixes for fun. The pair added 46 runs for the first wicket before Anshul Kamboj broke the stand by removing de Kock clean bowled on 23.&nbsp;
Standing at the other end, Narine mocked CSK&rsquo;s bowling attack, hitting boundaries to all parts of the ground. His quick-fire 44 off 18 balls, including five sixes and two fours, saw KKR reach touching distance of the target, as team captain Ajinkya Rahane and Rinku Singh completed the formalities inside 11 overs.
With this win, KKR returned to the top three on the points table, securing three wins from six contested matches thus far this season.&nbsp;

With five losses from six matches this season, CSK continue their horror run this season, sitting in ninth place on the points table. India news, Cricket, Sports

MS Dhoni’s first game as CSK captain in IPL 2025 was one to forget for him, the team and the fans. The hosts lost their fifth straight match this season, going down to the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by eight wickets on Friday. Dhoni captained CSK for the first time since leading the side to the title in 2023, but the game’s outcome left everyone worried in the CSK camp. After Ruturaj Gaikwad got ruled out of the tournament due to a fracture in his elbow, CSK reappointed MS Dhoni as the team captain for the remainder of the season. In his first game as the CSK captain this year, a position he held from 2008 to 2023, Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first. Considering the pitch’s nature, which is bound to change in the second innings, it looked like a great call until the collapse happened. Also read | IPL 2025: Save your eardrums! Crowd goes bonkers as CSK’s MS Dhoni returns to toss after 683 days – Watch CSK openers departed early inside the Powerplay, only for the middle order and the tail to suffer KKR’s spin twins’ wrath later in the innings. Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy picked five wickets between them, with Harshit Rana returning with two to his name. Dhoni’s cheap dismissal on just one did spark controversy, but even that couldn’t cloud CSK’s horrible batting show as they registered a paltry 103 for nine in 20 overs, their third-lowest IPL total and the lowest at home. KKR’s statement wins Up against an attacking batting pair of Narine and Quinton de Kock, CSK’s new ball bowlers failed to leave any impact, conceding fours and sixes for fun. The pair added 46 runs for the first wicket before Anshul Kamboj broke the stand by removing de Kock clean bowled on 23. Standing at the other end, Narine mocked CSK’s bowling attack, hitting boundaries to all parts of the ground. His quick-fire 44 off 18 balls, including five sixes and two fours, saw KKR reach touching distance of the target, as team captain Ajinkya Rahane and Rinku Singh completed the formalities inside 11 overs. With this win, KKR returned to the top three on the points table, securing three wins from six contested matches thus far this season.

IPL 2025: MS Dhoni’s CSK fall flat after Narine’s all-round show steers KKR home

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ms-dhoni" rel="dofollow">MS Dhoni</a> returned as CSK captain for the home game against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kolkata-knight-riders" rel="dofollow">Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)</a> on Friday in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a>, but it wasn&rsquo;t the happiest of times at the crease for him, as he departed cheaply to his old foe Sunil Narine. Walking out to bat after the fall of the seventh wicket inside the 15th over with CSK reeling at 72 for seven, Dhoni faced just three balls before Narine bowled his classic off-spin to trap him in front of the wickets for just one.
For the nth time this season, the crowd went bonkers watching its favourite cricketer come out to bat, only to watch him walk back within one over. The joy was short-lived for the fans and more so for Dhoni, who was looking ready to battle out the spin threat at Chepauk.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ipl-2025-save-you-eardrums-crowd-goes-bonkers-as-csks-ms-dhoni-returns-to-toss-after-683-days-watch-8952260" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: Save your eardrums! Crowd goes bonkers as CSK&rsquo;s MS Dhoni returns to toss after 683 days &ndash; Watch</a>
Meanwhile, of all the bowlers Dhoni struggled to hit runs against in IPL or T20 cricket overall, Sunil Narine perhaps leads the chart, having bowled 92 balls to him and conceding just 48 runs, besides dismissing him three times. The story remained the same during this game, as he accounted for Dhoni, further denting CSK&rsquo;s hopes of revival following a shallow start to the season.
However, there was a twist in the tale.&nbsp;
Upon reviewing the umpire&rsquo;s call, the replays showed a slight deviation and little spikes, though not convincing enough for the umpires to overturn the decision; as a result, the call stood, and Dhoni was declared out LBW.
<h3>Watch -</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m9czjvyh-xbdiiajl-9x0na87u">
BIG WICKET! 🥵<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SunilNarine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SunilNarine</a> dismisses <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MSDhoni?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MSDhoni</a> as <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSK</a> lose a review! ☝ Watch the LIVE action ➡ <a href="https://t.co/YPwDLdrTqi">https://t.co/YPwDLdrTqi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLonJioStar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLonJioStar</a> 👉 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvKKR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvKKR</a> | LIVE NOW on Star Sports Network &amp; JioHotstar! <a href="https://t.co/W4OGlTl62O">pic.twitter.com/W4OGlTl62O</a>
&mdash; Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia/status/1910719364128456804?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<h2>Dube saves CSK&rsquo;s grace</h2>
Chennai batted first and seemed to have regretted not making the most of the conditions. Placed ninth on the points table for just winning one out of five contested matches thus far, CSK didn&rsquo;t improve and faced the wrath of poor batting again, this time by batting first.
After losing both openers inside the Powerplay, Vijay Shankar and Rahul Tripathi tried saving the sinking ship but failed, as KKR spinners Narine and Varun Chakravarthy tore into their middle order. The bowling pair wickets five wickets between them, restricting CSK to their third-lowest team total and the lowest at home (103/9).&nbsp;

The joy was short-lived for the fans and more so for CSK captain MS Dhoni, who was looking ready to battle out KKR's spin threat at Chepauk. India news, Cricket, Sports

MS Dhoni returned as CSK captain for the home game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Friday in IPL 2025, but it wasn’t the happiest of times at the crease for him, as he departed cheaply to his old foe Sunil Narine. Walking out to bat after the fall of the seventh wicket inside the 15th over with CSK reeling at 72 for seven, Dhoni faced just three balls before Narine bowled his classic off-spin to trap him in front of the wickets for just one. For the nth time this season, the crowd went bonkers watching its favourite cricketer come out to bat, only to watch him walk back within one over. The joy was short-lived for the fans and more so for Dhoni, who was looking ready to battle out the spin threat at Chepauk. Also read | IPL 2025: Save your eardrums! Crowd goes bonkers as CSK’s MS Dhoni returns to toss after 683 days – Watch Meanwhile, of all the bowlers Dhoni struggled to hit runs against in IPL or T20 cricket overall, Sunil Narine perhaps leads the chart, having bowled 92 balls to him and conceding just 48 runs, besides dismissing him three times. The story remained the same during this game, as he accounted for Dhoni, further denting CSK’s hopes of revival following a shallow start to the season. However, there was a twist in the tale. Upon reviewing the umpire’s call, the replays showed a slight deviation and little spikes, though not convincing enough for the umpires to overturn the decision; as a result, the call stood, and Dhoni was declared out LBW. Watch - BIG WICKET! 🥵#SunilNarine dismisses #MSDhoni as #CSK lose a review! ☝ Watch the LIVE action ➡ https://t.co/YPwDLdrTqi #IPLonJioStar 👉 #CSKvKKR | LIVE NOW on Star Sports Network & JioHotstar! pic.twitter.com/W4OGlTl62O — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 11, 2025 Dube saves CSK’s grace Chennai batted first and seemed to have regretted not making the most of the conditions. Placed ninth on the points table for just winning one out of five contested matches thus far, CSK didn’t improve and faced the wrath of poor batting again, this time by batting first. After losing both openers inside the Powerplay, Vijay Shankar and Rahul Tripathi tried saving the sinking ship but failed, as KKR spinners Narine and Varun Chakravarthy tore into their middle order. The bowling pair wickets five wickets between them, restricting CSK to their third-lowest team total and the lowest at home (103/9).

IPL 2025: MS Dhoni’s dismissal sparks debate as CSK captain falls cheaply to old foe Narine - Watch

Former England cricketer and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kolkata-knight-riders">Kolkata Knight Riders</a>' (KKR) all-rounder <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/moeen-ali">Moeen Ali</a> shared his views on the ongoing debate of several senior players extending their career and how late is it too late to retire from cricket as India&nbsp;obsesses over the future of their ageing stars.&nbsp;
Speaking to Indian Express, the KKR all-rounder spoke about why he stepped away from international cricket. He said, &ldquo;If England was a franchise, I&rsquo;d still be playing." He added that he could have continued playing if it was a club or a franchise, but when it comes to playing for your country, it&rsquo;s a different game. &nbsp;
This got many thinking &mdash; should some of our big Indian stars also think the same way?
Let&rsquo;s be real - people have their icons. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a>, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a>, they are not just players, they are emotions. Fans have grown up watching them, cheering for them, defending them on social media after their every failure. But even the biggest fans have noticed the dip in form lately, especially Rohit. His recent struggles to find&nbsp;rhythm in the ongoing IPL haven&rsquo;t really shown his HITMAN mode.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indian-boxing-legend-mary-kom-living-separately-from-husband-amid-divorce-rumours-reports-suggests-so-8942967">Indian boxing legend Mary Kom living separately from husband amid divorce rumours? Reports suggests so</a>
Moeen&rsquo;s point is simple. Just because you are a big name or have a huge fan base, doesn&rsquo;t mean you hold on to the spot forever.&nbsp;
<h2>'It is 'selfish' to continue for sake of personal goals'</h2>
Playing for the country means you have to ask yourself tough questions. Are you still contributing? Are there younger players doing better than you? If yes, maybe it&rsquo;s time to step aside. Not because you aren&rsquo;t great anymore, but because the team needs to move forward. &nbsp;
He even called it 'selfish' to continue just for the sake of personal goals or reputation. We, as fans, always want our team to win. And for that, sometimes, even our favourites might have to take a backseat. Moeen&rsquo;s words may hurt, but maybe it&rsquo;s the kind of honesty that Indian cricket needs right now.
"I definitely think you shouldn't just hold on because you're a big name or you have a massive following. And it should never be your own personal goals," he signed off.
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: Moeen said he could’ve continued playing if it was a club or a franchise, but when it comes to playing for your country, it’s a different game

Former England cricketer and Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) all-rounder Moeen Ali shared his views on the ongoing debate of several senior players extending their career and how late is it too late to retire from cricket as India obsesses over the future of their ageing stars. Speaking to Indian Express, the KKR all-rounder spoke about why he stepped away from international cricket. He said, “If England was a franchise, I’d still be playing." He added that he could have continued playing if it was a club or a franchise, but when it comes to playing for your country, it’s a different game. This got many thinking — should some of our big Indian stars also think the same way? Let’s be real - people have their icons. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, they are not just players, they are emotions. Fans have grown up watching them, cheering for them, defending them on social media after their every failure. But even the biggest fans have noticed the dip in form lately, especially Rohit. His recent struggles to find rhythm in the ongoing IPL haven’t really shown his HITMAN mode. Also Read: Indian boxing legend Mary Kom living separately from husband amid divorce rumours? Reports suggests so Moeen’s point is simple. Just because you are a big name or have a huge fan base, doesn’t mean you hold on to the spot forever. 'It is 'selfish' to continue for sake of personal goals' Playing for the country means you have to ask yourself tough questions. Are you still contributing? Are there younger players doing better than you? If yes, maybe it’s time to step aside. Not because you aren’t great anymore, but because the team needs to move forward. He even called it 'selfish' to continue just for the sake of personal goals or reputation. We, as fans, always want our team to win. And for that, sometimes, even our favourites might have to take a backseat. Moeen’s words may hurt, but maybe it’s the kind of honesty that Indian cricket needs right now. "I definitely think you shouldn't just hold on because you're a big name or you have a massive following. And it should never be your own personal goals," he signed off. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: 'If England was a franchise, I’d still be playing,' KKR's Moeen Ali’s words spark big question for cricket fans

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lost another one of their home game on Tuesday (Apr 8) and this time it was against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Chasing 239 was never going to be a cakewalk but KKR did well to post 234 in response - losing only by four runs.
The focus, more than power hitting, was on the pitch at Eden Gardens which again offered minimal assistance to spinners. KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane, who had called it out earlier in the IPL 2025 season, was left unhappy once again. This time Rahane, however, chose not to discuss anything with the media but reach out the IPL authorities.
Also Read: <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/olympics/neeraj-chopra-to-kick-off-2025-season-at-doha-diamond-league-on-may-16-8940629" aria-label="Neeraj Chopra to kick off 2025 season at Doha Diamond League on May 16">Neeraj Chopra to kick off 2025 season at Doha Diamond League on May 16</a>
"If I say anything, it'll create chaos," Rahane said at the post-match press conference while referring to earlier controversy after asking for tailor-made pitch to maximise the home advantage.
"Let me just keep it that way. The earlier discussion on the pitch has given our curator a lot of publicity," Rahane added. "Whatever you'd like to write about home advantage, you can go ahead. If I have any concerns, I will talk to the IPL about it, rather than you guys, and discuss with the concerned authorities."
The veteran batter although made it clear that there was no turn available for the spinners and that was the reason ace bowler Sunil Narine didn't complete his quota - a novelty - after being hit for 38 runs in three overs.
"Firstly, there was no help for the spinners, let me clear that," Rahane said on Narine's quota. "They used the longer boundary really well. Our bowlers tried as well, but again, Nicholas Pooran (87* in 36 balls) and Mitchell Marsh (81 in 48) batted really well. In between, they took their chances, which came off really well for them. It was a lovely wicket [to bat on], we all saw that, scoring almost 500 runs [472] on this track. Hard for the bowlers, but they used the conditions and the boundary well."
Rahane and KKR aren't the only one to complain about lack of home advantage this season. LSG mentor Zaheer Khan had also called out the curator of Lucknow pitch after their loss against Punjab Kings.

The focus, more than power hitting, was on the pitch at Eden Gardens which again offered minimal assistance to spinners and KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane was left unhappy once again. Cricket Sports

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lost another one of their home game on Tuesday (Apr 8) and this time it was against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Chasing 239 was never going to be a cakewalk but KKR did well to post 234 in response - losing only by four runs. The focus, more than power hitting, was on the pitch at Eden Gardens which again offered minimal assistance to spinners. KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane, who had called it out earlier in the IPL 2025 season, was left unhappy once again. This time Rahane, however, chose not to discuss anything with the media but reach out the IPL authorities. Also Read: Neeraj Chopra to kick off 2025 season at Doha Diamond League on May 16 "If I say anything, it'll create chaos," Rahane said at the post-match press conference while referring to earlier controversy after asking for tailor-made pitch to maximise the home advantage. "Let me just keep it that way. The earlier discussion on the pitch has given our curator a lot of publicity," Rahane added. "Whatever you'd like to write about home advantage, you can go ahead. If I have any concerns, I will talk to the IPL about it, rather than you guys, and discuss with the concerned authorities." The veteran batter although made it clear that there was no turn available for the spinners and that was the reason ace bowler Sunil Narine didn't complete his quota - a novelty - after being hit for 38 runs in three overs. "Firstly, there was no help for the spinners, let me clear that," Rahane said on Narine's quota. "They used the longer boundary really well. Our bowlers tried as well, but again, Nicholas Pooran (87* in 36 balls) and Mitchell Marsh (81 in 48) batted really well. In between, they took their chances, which came off really well for them. It was a lovely wicket [to bat on], we all saw that, scoring almost 500 runs [472] on this track. Hard for the bowlers, but they used the conditions and the boundary well." Rahane and KKR aren't the only one to complain about lack of home advantage this season. LSG mentor Zaheer Khan had also called out the curator of Lucknow pitch after their loss against Punjab Kings.

IPL 2025 | 'Will talk to the IPL about...,' KKR skipper Rahane reignites pitch debate after loss vs LSG in run-fest at home

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) will be facing each other on Thursday (Apr 3) with an aim to snap their losing streak and get back to the winnings ways. The match is being played in Eden Gardens in Kolkata where the pitch has become somewhat a point of contention after skipper Ajinkya Rahane's demand for a slow one.
<h2>IPL 2025: KKR vs SRH Today Match Prediction</h2>
SRH top order needs to fire for them to have any chance at success with their brute-force batting style. Not much will be left to be done if SRH's top three batters score and if not, then Heinrich Klaasen should be exercising restraint and take game deep instead of trying to hit a six.
Also Read: <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/rcb-vs-gt-indias-forgotten-hero-bhuvneshwar-kumar-enters-elite-list-with-ipl-2025-comeback-8920477" aria-label="IPL 2025: India&rsquo;s forgotten hero Bhuvneshwar Kumar enters elite list in RCB loss">IPL 2025: India&rsquo;s forgotten hero Bhuvneshwar Kumar enters elite list in RCB loss</a>
SRH have Aniket Verma in the middle to help them out only if others continue to bat around him and not try to match him for each stroke.
As for KKR, their top order also needs to fire up and soon. They have good middle order which has looked a bit brittle but they'd hope for the batters like Rinku Singh and Andre Russell to come to party soon.
<h2>IPL 2025: KKR vs SRH Today Match Toss Prediction</h2>
KKR have won the toss 39 times and have batted second 25 of those times including only once since 2014 - clearly they'd chase if they win the toss.&nbsp;
The other teams also show the same trait - out of 50 times the visiting teams have won the toss, they have batted first only 14 times and just thrice since 2016.
After winning the toss, KKR have won 25 games and lost only 14 games and the visiting teams have somewhat of a 50-50 record at Eden Gardens - winning 23 times after winning the toss and losing 27 times.
KKR are really playing at a fortress and SRH would need something special to beat them.
<h2>IPL 2025: KKR vs SRH Today Match Pitch Report</h2>
After a bit of a controversy around the pitch, two strips have been prepared for the contest and there finally could be some spin on display as teams rally to get home advantage.
<h2>IPL 2025: KKR vs SRH Today Match Possible Playing XI</h2>
KKR: Narine, de Kock, Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Russell, Varun Chakravarthy, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana
SRH: Abhishek, Head, Kishan, Nitish Reddy, Aniket Verma, Klaasen, Cummins, Harshal, Shami, Zampa, Simarjeet Singh

After winning the toss, KKR have won 25 games and lost only 14 games and the visiting teams have somewhat of a 50-50 record at Eden Gardens - winning 23 times after winning the toss and losing 27 times. Cricket Sports

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) will be facing each other on Thursday (Apr 3) with an aim to snap their losing streak and get back to the winnings ways. The match is being played in Eden Gardens in Kolkata where the pitch has become somewhat a point of contention after skipper Ajinkya Rahane's demand for a slow one. IPL 2025: KKR vs SRH Today Match Prediction SRH top order needs to fire for them to have any chance at success with their brute-force batting style. Not much will be left to be done if SRH's top three batters score and if not, then Heinrich Klaasen should be exercising restraint and take game deep instead of trying to hit a six. Also Read: IPL 2025: India’s forgotten hero Bhuvneshwar Kumar enters elite list in RCB loss SRH have Aniket Verma in the middle to help them out only if others continue to bat around him and not try to match him for each stroke. As for KKR, their top order also needs to fire up and soon. They have good middle order which has looked a bit brittle but they'd hope for the batters like Rinku Singh and Andre Russell to come to party soon. IPL 2025: KKR vs SRH Today Match Toss Prediction KKR have won the toss 39 times and have batted second 25 of those times including only once since 2014 - clearly they'd chase if they win the toss. The other teams also show the same trait - out of 50 times the visiting teams have won the toss, they have batted first only 14 times and just thrice since 2016. After winning the toss, KKR have won 25 games and lost only 14 games and the visiting teams have somewhat of a 50-50 record at Eden Gardens - winning 23 times after winning the toss and losing 27 times. KKR are really playing at a fortress and SRH would need something special to beat them. IPL 2025: KKR vs SRH Today Match Pitch Report After a bit of a controversy around the pitch, two strips have been prepared for the contest and there finally could be some spin on display as teams rally to get home advantage. IPL 2025: KKR vs SRH Today Match Possible Playing XI KKR: Narine, de Kock, Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Russell, Varun Chakravarthy, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana SRH: Abhishek, Head, Kishan, Nitish Reddy, Aniket Verma, Klaasen, Cummins, Harshal, Shami, Zampa, Simarjeet Singh

IPL 2025 | KKR vs SRH Today Match - Prediction, Toss, Pitch Report and Playing XI

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kolkata-knight-riders-kkr" rel="dofollow">Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)</a> head coach Chandrakant Pandit has backed team captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ajinkya-rahane" rel="dofollow">Ajinkya Rahane</a> in batting for favourable playing conditions at home in IPL 2025 amid Eden Gardens pitch controversy. Days after Rahane spoke openly about wanting home pitches favouring his bowling attack after earlier reports of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-kkr-pitch-curator-does-u-turn-in-ajinkya-rahane-episode-says-those-who-are-accusing-me-sujan-mukherjee-8898729" rel="dofollow">KKR pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee denying accepting any such request</a> made headlines, team coach Pandit said who wouldn&rsquo;t be happy about that.
KKR has played two matches thus far this season, losing one (against RCB in the tournament opener) and winning the other against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati.&nbsp;
With them playing host to Mumbai Indians (MI) in another marquee match this season on Monday, the KKR coach said he would love to have the pitch (on offer) that benefits his team but agrees he or even the management has no control over preparing it during any stage in the competition.
"Who will not be happy about that? I mean, this is a simple answer," Pandit replied when asked if all IPL teams should be allowed to have a say in conditions for the home matches.&nbsp;
"See, as a coach, as a team management, whatever the surface has been provided to us, we play. The control, of course, that will be under [the] curator. And at this moment, the focus is definitely going to be on the next game tomorrow, which we are playing [against MI]," he added.
<h2>Pandit denies team&rsquo;s role in deciding pitch&rsquo;s nature</h2>
Although several prominent names in the cricket world, including broadcasters Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull, have voiced for teams being right in asking for favourable conditions for their home games in this cash-rich league, the KKR head coach denied his team or franchise&rsquo;s role in deciding everything that happens on the ground.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-who-is-aniket-verma-srh-newest-star-the-rookie-batter-who-loves-hitting-sixes-for-fun-dc-8907671" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: Who is Aniket Verma, SRH&rsquo;s newest star who loves hitting sixes for fun</a>
&ldquo;No. In charge of everything at the ground&hellip; I don't know. That doesn't mean that they [the franchises] have control of preparing wickets. I mean, ultimately, I don't know what is the system in different states or different grounds, whether the control is with the franchise.&nbsp;
&ldquo;But, at the moment, what I understand is the surface which is given to us, as a team management, as a coach, as a captain, probably we expect something [helpful] to be provided. So, that's all,&rdquo; he continued.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, KKR pitch curator Mukherjee revealed what happened behind the scenes.
"As per the BCCI guidelines, it is clearly mentioned that the pitch and ground preparation for all IPL regular season matches is the responsibility of the chief curator of the host association under the guidance from the BCCI-appointed venue curator, and they will be the sole decision-maker regarding the nomination of practice and match pitches, as is the case for first-class matches in India," Mukherjee said in a chat with RevSportz.&nbsp;
"It is also instructed that the franchises and players shall not have any say in the preparation of the wicket. The BCCI chief curator is available to give any advice that is required, and will also be able to intervene if any issues arise,&rdquo; he continued.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: KKR has played two matches thus far this season, losing one (against RCB in the tournament opener) and winning the other against Rajasthan Royals.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Chandrakant Pandit has backed team captain Ajinkya Rahane in batting for favourable playing conditions at home in IPL 2025 amid Eden Gardens pitch controversy. Days after Rahane spoke openly about wanting home pitches favouring his bowling attack after earlier reports of KKR pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee denying accepting any such request made headlines, team coach Pandit said who wouldn’t be happy about that. KKR has played two matches thus far this season, losing one (against RCB in the tournament opener) and winning the other against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. With them playing host to Mumbai Indians (MI) in another marquee match this season on Monday, the KKR coach said he would love to have the pitch (on offer) that benefits his team but agrees he or even the management has no control over preparing it during any stage in the competition. "Who will not be happy about that? I mean, this is a simple answer," Pandit replied when asked if all IPL teams should be allowed to have a say in conditions for the home matches. "See, as a coach, as a team management, whatever the surface has been provided to us, we play. The control, of course, that will be under [the] curator. And at this moment, the focus is definitely going to be on the next game tomorrow, which we are playing [against MI]," he added. Pandit denies team’s role in deciding pitch’s nature Although several prominent names in the cricket world, including broadcasters Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull, have voiced for teams being right in asking for favourable conditions for their home games in this cash-rich league, the KKR head coach denied his team or franchise’s role in deciding everything that happens on the ground. Also read | IPL 2025: Who is Aniket Verma, SRH’s newest star who loves hitting sixes for fun “No. In charge of everything at the ground… I don't know. That doesn't mean that they [the franchises] have control of preparing wickets. I mean, ultimately, I don't know what is the system in different states or different grounds, whether the control is with the franchise. “But, at the moment, what I understand is the surface which is given to us, as a team management, as a coach, as a captain, probably we expect something [helpful] to be provided. So, that's all,” he continued. Meanwhile, KKR pitch curator Mukherjee revealed what happened behind the scenes. "As per the BCCI guidelines, it is clearly mentioned that the pitch and ground preparation for all IPL regular season matches is the responsibility of the chief curator of the host association under the guidance from the BCCI-appointed venue curator, and they will be the sole decision-maker regarding the nomination of practice and match pitches, as is the case for first-class matches in India," Mukherjee said in a chat with RevSportz. "It is also instructed that the franchises and players shall not have any say in the preparation of the wicket. The BCCI chief curator is available to give any advice that is required, and will also be able to intervene if any issues arise,” he continued. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: KKR coach backs Rahane over ‘Eden Gardens pitch controversy’, bats for ‘favourable home conditions’

Plenty is brewing up in the KKR pitch curator controversy since it broke the internet with startling revelations. After Kolkata Knight Riders&rsquo; seven-wicket loss at home against the touring Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2025 opener, team captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ajinkya-rahane" rel="dofollow">Ajinkya Rahane</a> expressed preferences of having desired pitches (spin-friendly) at Eden Gardens, with several reports claiming that the KKR pitch curator denied accepting any requests in the first place.
Relying on their master spin attack to win IPL matches, as they have always done, the Kolkata side failed to pocket two crucial points after the KKR pitch curator prepared a contrasting track (for that game), which had pace, bounce and seam movement but nothing that the team captain had asked for.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-lsg-sanjeev-goenka-hugs-team-captain-rishabh-pant-in-heartfelt-moment-watch-srh-8900067" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: LSG owner Sanjeev Goenka hugs team captain Pant in heartfelt moment &ndash; Watch</a>
&ldquo;As per the IPL rules and regulations, franchises have no say over the pitch,&rdquo; Sujan Mukherjee, the KKR pitch curator, said in a chat with RevSportz. &ldquo;Ever since I have taken charge (as Eden curator), the pitches here have been like this. It was like this in the past. Things haven&rsquo;t changed now, and it will not be altered in the future.&rdquo;
Such remarks led to a backlash, with famous broadcasters <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-harsha-bhogle-simon-doull-unhappy-with-kkr-pitch-curator-for-disrespecting-ajinkya-rahane-8895205" rel="dofollow">Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull coming down hard on him for bossing around</a> and denying the home team captain&rsquo;s request.&nbsp;
Although <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-kkr-pitch-curator-does-u-turn-in-ajinkya-rahane-episode-says-those-who-are-accusing-me-sujan-mukherjee-8898729" rel="dofollow">Mukherjee took a U-turn</a> when approached about his thoughts on facing wrath from all quarters, saying, &lsquo;he never denied anything (to KKR) and that he prepared the pitch as per BCCI guidelines,&rsquo; a former Bengal batter Shreevats Goswami&rsquo;s social media post further put the pitch curator controversy in the limelight.
<h2>What did Goswami say?</h2>
Taking to his social media handle X, Goswami wrote what unfolded was not new to him as he had watched everything happening from close quarters.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Fact: Nothing new with the Eden garden curator not listening to the home captain. Having played for Bengal over a decade, have been witness to this from close quarters. As a home team we would ask for a certain pitch to take the home advantage but would seldom get it. In fact, the curator wouldn&rsquo;t even let us train in the Eden Gardens, run rounds cause apparently the &ldquo;grass would spoiled &ldquo;. On the other hand I would see my counterpart Karnataka&nbsp;players running around in Chinnaswamy Stadium! #EdenGardens #curator #KKR #pitch
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m8spc0lx-8w1wtqqd-9v1f7u0w">
Fact : Nothing new with the Eden garden curator not listening to the home captain. Having played for bengal over a decade,have been witness to this from close quarters. As a home team we would ask for a certain pitch to take the home advantage but would seldom get it.Infact the&hellip;
&mdash; Shreevats goswami (@shreevats1) <a href="https://twitter.com/shreevats1/status/1905289047289012253?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
Meanwhile, KKR won their second game against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati, winning two points.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports; Although Mukherjee took a U-turn when approached about his thoughts on this, Goswami’s X post further put the pitch curator controversy in the limelight.

Plenty is brewing up in the KKR pitch curator controversy since it broke the internet with startling revelations. After Kolkata Knight Riders’ seven-wicket loss at home against the touring Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2025 opener, team captain Ajinkya Rahane expressed preferences of having desired pitches (spin-friendly) at Eden Gardens, with several reports claiming that the KKR pitch curator denied accepting any requests in the first place. Relying on their master spin attack to win IPL matches, as they have always done, the Kolkata side failed to pocket two crucial points after the KKR pitch curator prepared a contrasting track (for that game), which had pace, bounce and seam movement but nothing that the team captain had asked for. Also read | IPL 2025: LSG owner Sanjeev Goenka hugs team captain Pant in heartfelt moment – Watch “As per the IPL rules and regulations, franchises have no say over the pitch,” Sujan Mukherjee, the KKR pitch curator, said in a chat with RevSportz. “Ever since I have taken charge (as Eden curator), the pitches here have been like this. It was like this in the past. Things haven’t changed now, and it will not be altered in the future.” Such remarks led to a backlash, with famous broadcasters Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull coming down hard on him for bossing around and denying the home team captain’s request. Although Mukherjee took a U-turn when approached about his thoughts on facing wrath from all quarters, saying, ‘he never denied anything (to KKR) and that he prepared the pitch as per BCCI guidelines,’ a former Bengal batter Shreevats Goswami’s social media post further put the pitch curator controversy in the limelight. What did Goswami say? Taking to his social media handle X, Goswami wrote what unfolded was not new to him as he had watched everything happening from close quarters. “Fact: Nothing new with the Eden garden curator not listening to the home captain. Having played for Bengal over a decade, have been witness to this from close quarters. As a home team we would ask for a certain pitch to take the home advantage but would seldom get it. In fact, the curator wouldn’t even let us train in the Eden Gardens, run rounds cause apparently the “grass would spoiled “. On the other hand I would see my counterpart Karnataka players running around in Chinnaswamy Stadium! #EdenGardens #curator #KKR #pitch Fact : Nothing new with the Eden garden curator not listening to the home captain. Having played for bengal over a decade,have been witness to this from close quarters. As a home team we would ask for a certain pitch to take the home advantage but would seldom get it.Infact the… — Shreevats goswami (@shreevats1) March 27, 2025 Meanwhile, KKR won their second game against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati, winning two points. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: Ex-Bengal batter backs claims against KKR pitch curator, says ‘Nothing new…’

It&rsquo;s been just one week into <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a>, and we already have drama surrounding pitches on offer making headlines. Days after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kolkata-knight-riders" rel="dofollow">Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)</a> captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ajinkya-rahane" rel="dofollow">Ajinkya Rahane</a> openly admitted to not getting the pitch of his and his team&rsquo;s liking for the tournament opener against the RCB, with the reports suggesting that KKR&rsquo;s pitch curator denied any requests, Sujan Mukherjee, the man in question, took a U-turn in this matter, saying no one requested to alter its condition in the first place.
Earlier reports suggested that Rahane requested a spin-friendly track for the curtain raiser; Sujan outright denied making any changes to the one they played on, which was quick and assisted bounce, unlike how the Eden Gardens pitch usually behaved, aiding the spinners.&nbsp;
&ldquo;As per the IPL rules and regulations, franchises have no say over the pitch,&rdquo; Sujan said in a chat with RevSportz. &ldquo;Ever since I have taken charge (as Eden curator), the pitches here have been like this. It was like this in the past. Things haven&rsquo;t changed now, and it will not be altered in the future.&rdquo;
The aftermath of such remarks was loud, with several broadcasters, including Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull, coming down hard on the KKR pitch curator, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-harsha-bhogle-simon-doull-unhappy-with-kkr-pitch-curator-for-disrespecting-ajinkya-rahane-8895205" rel="dofollow">accusing him of bossing around</a> despite the home side&rsquo;s captain requesting a change in pitch conditions.&nbsp;
Upon reaching out to him, Sujan took a U-turn on his earlier comments, saying he prepared the pitch per the BCCI guidelines and those who accused him know nothing about the situation.
"No official or player asked for the pitch requirement for the first match. A coach at the time of practice asked me about the behaviour of the pitch. I said &lsquo;ghumega bhi aur accha chalega (the pitch will turn, and it will be good for batting)," Sujan said in a chat with Sports Tak.
"I never denied anything to KKR. We have been in good relations for a long time. I prepared the pitch as per BCCI guidelines. Those who are accusing me know nothing," he added.
<h2>KKR&rsquo;s topsy-turvy start to IPL 2025</h2>
Defending IPL champions lost their first game to the touring RCB at the Eden Gardens the past Friday; however, they made it Even Stevens with their cracking win against Rajasthan Royals in their next match in Guwahati.&nbsp;
KKR will face former five-time winners Mumbai Indians in an away game on Saturday (Mar 29) before hosting the high-flying SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at home on April 3. However, it remains to be seen what pitch would be on offer for his high-octane clash.
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: Earlier reports suggested that Rahane requested a spin-friendly track but Sujan outright denied making any changes to the one they played on.

It’s been just one week into IPL 2025, and we already have drama surrounding pitches on offer making headlines. Days after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane openly admitted to not getting the pitch of his and his team’s liking for the tournament opener against the RCB, with the reports suggesting that KKR’s pitch curator denied any requests, Sujan Mukherjee, the man in question, took a U-turn in this matter, saying no one requested to alter its condition in the first place. Earlier reports suggested that Rahane requested a spin-friendly track for the curtain raiser; Sujan outright denied making any changes to the one they played on, which was quick and assisted bounce, unlike how the Eden Gardens pitch usually behaved, aiding the spinners. “As per the IPL rules and regulations, franchises have no say over the pitch,” Sujan said in a chat with RevSportz. “Ever since I have taken charge (as Eden curator), the pitches here have been like this. It was like this in the past. Things haven’t changed now, and it will not be altered in the future.” The aftermath of such remarks was loud, with several broadcasters, including Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull, coming down hard on the KKR pitch curator, accusing him of bossing around despite the home side’s captain requesting a change in pitch conditions. Upon reaching out to him, Sujan took a U-turn on his earlier comments, saying he prepared the pitch per the BCCI guidelines and those who accused him know nothing about the situation. "No official or player asked for the pitch requirement for the first match. A coach at the time of practice asked me about the behaviour of the pitch. I said ‘ghumega bhi aur accha chalega (the pitch will turn, and it will be good for batting)," Sujan said in a chat with Sports Tak. "I never denied anything to KKR. We have been in good relations for a long time. I prepared the pitch as per BCCI guidelines. Those who are accusing me know nothing," he added. KKR’s topsy-turvy start to IPL 2025 Defending IPL champions lost their first game to the touring RCB at the Eden Gardens the past Friday; however, they made it Even Stevens with their cracking win against Rajasthan Royals in their next match in Guwahati. KKR will face former five-time winners Mumbai Indians in an away game on Saturday (Mar 29) before hosting the high-flying SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at home on April 3. However, it remains to be seen what pitch would be on offer for his high-octane clash. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: KKR pitch curator does U-Turn in Rahane episode, says ‘those who are accusing me…’

KKR pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee rejected team captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ajinkya-rahane" rel="dofollow">Ajinkya Rahane</a>&rsquo;s request to prepare pitches that could aid their spinners so that they could maximise their home advantage, with broadcasters Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull coming down hard on him for disrespecting Rahane. Although KKR won their second game of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a> by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-rr-vs-kkr-live-score-updates-6th-match-rajasthan-royals-vs-kolkata-knight-riders-today-live-cricket-match-scorecard-26-march-8893149" rel="dofollow">beating Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati</a>, their home loss in the tournament opener didn&rsquo;t sit well with cricket experts.
Knowing KKR has enjoyed enormous success banking on their spin attack, no assistance provided for the curtain raiser this time hurt their result, as RCB prevailed in a lop-sided contest. After posting a moderate 174/8 in the first innings, KKR could pick just three RCB wickets, two of which came to their mystery spin pair of Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-marsh-acknowledges-lsg-going-to-be-under-pressure-against-srh-8894171" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: Marsh acknowledges LSG 'going to be under pressure' against SRH</a>
Meanwhile, Bhogle pointed out how home teams rightly use the pitch advantage to their benefit, and if all IPL teams are getting this privilege, then KKR should also. The veteran TV commentator expressed displeasure over KKR&rsquo;s pitch curator remarks, saying Rahane never asked for rank turners or 120-run pitches; instead, all that he asked for were the surfaces where his spinners could get some purchase.
"RR, if they are playing at home, should get the tracks that they think are suited for their bowlers. So too with KKR. I saw something what the KKR curator has said. If I'm in the KKR camp, I'm extremely unhappy of what he said because I'm not asking for a 120 surface.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I'm just saying give me a surface where my bowlers can win matches. To say, 'Sorry, we don't prepare pitches like that...' No. We are not asking you to make a 120 pitch, we are not asking you to make a 240 pitch.&nbsp;
&ldquo;But I think home advantage in a tournament like IPL is absolutely legitimate. That will enhance the tournament because winning away becomes crucial then," Bhogle said in a Cricbuzz show.
<h2>What did KKR pitch curator say?</h2>
Since taking over the job ten years ago, Sujan has ensured the Eden Gardens pitch remains quick, assisting bounce and seam movement, unlike the ones prepared previously, where it used to benefit spinners, something the former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir banked (with his spin-heavy squads) winning two IPL titles (2012 and 2014).&nbsp;
Although Rahane put it under the mat after the RCB loss, saying the pitch behaved such because they covered it for some time, Sujan outright denied accepting any requests for altering its condition in games to come.&nbsp;
&ldquo;As per the IPL rules and regulations, franchises have no say over the pitch,&rdquo; he said in a chat with RevSportz. &ldquo;Ever since I have taken charge (as Eden curator), the pitches here have been like this. It was like this in the past. Things haven&rsquo;t changed now, and it will not be altered in the future.&rdquo;
<h3>&lsquo;He&rsquo;s not paid&hellip;&rsquo;</h3>
While Bhogle kept it subtle in criticising KKR&rsquo;s curator, Doull didn&rsquo;t mince his words, coming down hard on him.&nbsp;
"If he's not taking heed of what the home team wants... I mean they are paying the stadium fees, they are paying for what's going on in the IPL but if he's still not paying heed of what the home team wants, then just move the franchise away to somewhere else.
"His job is not to pass an opinion on the game. That's not what he's paid for," Doull said.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: The veteran TV commentators expressed displeasure over KKR’s pitch curator remarks, saying Rahane never asked for rank turners or 120-run pitches.

KKR pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee rejected team captain Ajinkya Rahane’s request to prepare pitches that could aid their spinners so that they could maximise their home advantage, with broadcasters Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull coming down hard on him for disrespecting Rahane. Although KKR won their second game of IPL 2025 by beating Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati, their home loss in the tournament opener didn’t sit well with cricket experts. Knowing KKR has enjoyed enormous success banking on their spin attack, no assistance provided for the curtain raiser this time hurt their result, as RCB prevailed in a lop-sided contest. After posting a moderate 174/8 in the first innings, KKR could pick just three RCB wickets, two of which came to their mystery spin pair of Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine. Also read | IPL 2025: Marsh acknowledges LSG 'going to be under pressure' against SRH Meanwhile, Bhogle pointed out how home teams rightly use the pitch advantage to their benefit, and if all IPL teams are getting this privilege, then KKR should also. The veteran TV commentator expressed displeasure over KKR’s pitch curator remarks, saying Rahane never asked for rank turners or 120-run pitches; instead, all that he asked for were the surfaces where his spinners could get some purchase. "RR, if they are playing at home, should get the tracks that they think are suited for their bowlers. So too with KKR. I saw something what the KKR curator has said. If I'm in the KKR camp, I'm extremely unhappy of what he said because I'm not asking for a 120 surface. “I'm just saying give me a surface where my bowlers can win matches. To say, 'Sorry, we don't prepare pitches like that...' No. We are not asking you to make a 120 pitch, we are not asking you to make a 240 pitch. “But I think home advantage in a tournament like IPL is absolutely legitimate. That will enhance the tournament because winning away becomes crucial then," Bhogle said in a Cricbuzz show. What did KKR pitch curator say? Since taking over the job ten years ago, Sujan has ensured the Eden Gardens pitch remains quick, assisting bounce and seam movement, unlike the ones prepared previously, where it used to benefit spinners, something the former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir banked (with his spin-heavy squads) winning two IPL titles (2012 and 2014). Although Rahane put it under the mat after the RCB loss, saying the pitch behaved such because they covered it for some time, Sujan outright denied accepting any requests for altering its condition in games to come. “As per the IPL rules and regulations, franchises have no say over the pitch,” he said in a chat with RevSportz. “Ever since I have taken charge (as Eden curator), the pitches here have been like this. It was like this in the past. Things haven’t changed now, and it will not be altered in the future.” ‘He’s not paid…’ While Bhogle kept it subtle in criticising KKR’s curator, Doull didn’t mince his words, coming down hard on him. "If he's not taking heed of what the home team wants... I mean they are paying the stadium fees, they are paying for what's going on in the IPL but if he's still not paying heed of what the home team wants, then just move the franchise away to somewhere else. "His job is not to pass an opinion on the game. That's not what he's paid for," Doull said. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025 - Bhogle, Doull unhappy with KKR pitch curator for disrespecting captain Rahane

The highly anticipated IPL 2025 season opener between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) faces a major hurdle as rain threatens to disrupt the match. Fans are eagerly waiting to see their favorite stars in action, but will the weather play spoilsport? Stay tuned for the latest updates!

Rain threat looms Kolkata vs Bengaluru season opener

The 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to begin with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders facing Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opening match. The captains' meeting has confirmed key rule changes for IPL 2025, adding new excitement to the tournament. Watch this report to know what's new in this IPL season!

Kolkata face Bengaluru in opening match of Indian Premier League

Defending IPL champions <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kolkata-knight-riders-kkr" rel="dofollow">Kolkata Knight Riders</a>&rsquo; (KKR) home game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) scheduled for April 6 has shifted out of the Eden Gardens due to security concerns. The Kolkata police expressed their inability to provide an apt cover for this IPL tie due to &lsquo;Ram Navami&rsquo; celebrations across the city on the same day, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President Snehasish Ganguly said on Thursday.
Following earlier reports of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari announcing that over 20,000 processions would be organised across the state to celebrate the festival, Ganguly said the state board has informed the BCCI about rescheduling the game, which Guwahati will now host in IPL 2025.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bcci-revokes-saliva-ban-in-major-changes-ahead-of-ipl-2025-second-new-ball-11th-over-8873247" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025 Rule Change: BCCI informs all captains of two massive rule changes ahead of IPL 2025, check out</a>
"We have informed the BCCI about rescheduling the match, but there is no possibility of hosting it in the city at a later date. Now, I'm hearing that it will be shifted to Guwahati," Ganguly told PTI.
<h2>KKR ready to defend IPL title</h2>
KKR beat SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2024 final to win its third title, becoming the third-most successful team in the competition history. With mentor Gautam Gambhir, head coach Chandrakant Pandit and several experienced heads within the squad, KKR made the most of this chance and realised their dream of lifting another IPL trophy ten years after last winning in 2014.
However, ahead of the mega auction in December 2024, KKR let go of their captain, Shreyas Iyer and seamer Mitchell Starc, with one going to Punjab Kings (Iyer) and the other finding his new IPL home in Delhi Capitals.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/i-was-looking-for-one-guy-hoping-hed-come-and-talk-to-me-nitish-reddy-recalls-dressing-room-joy-after-mcg-hundred-srh-ipl-2025-travis-head-virat-kohli-8874094" rel="dofollow">&lsquo;I was looking for one guy&hellip;hoping he&rsquo;d come and talk to me,&rsquo; Nitish Reddy recalls dressing room joy after MCG hundred</a>
Ahead of the 18th edition, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/speaking-exclusively-to-wions-aditya-pimpale-was-avni-aneja-co-founder-of-six5six-who-are-the-official-kits-manufacturers-of-kkr-in-ipl-2025-8870944" rel="dofollow">KKR announced their new retro kit</a>, with black and golden sleeves, alongside picking a new captain in seasoned campaigner Ajinkya Rahane. Venkatesh Iyer, whom they repurchased at auction after letting him go ahead of the retention list announcement, KKR named Rahane&rsquo;s deputy.
Meanwhile, KKR will host the curtain raiser this season, hosting Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Saturday (Mar 22) at the Eden Gardens, which will also hosts the final (May 25).&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President Snehasish Ganguly informed the BCCI about Kolkata police's inability to provide apt cover for this IPL tie.

Defending IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) home game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) scheduled for April 6 has shifted out of the Eden Gardens due to security concerns. The Kolkata police expressed their inability to provide an apt cover for this IPL tie due to ‘Ram Navami’ celebrations across the city on the same day, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President Snehasish Ganguly said on Thursday. Following earlier reports of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari announcing that over 20,000 processions would be organised across the state to celebrate the festival, Ganguly said the state board has informed the BCCI about rescheduling the game, which Guwahati will now host in IPL 2025. Also read | IPL 2025 Rule Change: BCCI informs all captains of two massive rule changes ahead of IPL 2025, check out "We have informed the BCCI about rescheduling the match, but there is no possibility of hosting it in the city at a later date. Now, I'm hearing that it will be shifted to Guwahati," Ganguly told PTI. KKR ready to defend IPL title KKR beat SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2024 final to win its third title, becoming the third-most successful team in the competition history. With mentor Gautam Gambhir, head coach Chandrakant Pandit and several experienced heads within the squad, KKR made the most of this chance and realised their dream of lifting another IPL trophy ten years after last winning in 2014. However, ahead of the mega auction in December 2024, KKR let go of their captain, Shreyas Iyer and seamer Mitchell Starc, with one going to Punjab Kings (Iyer) and the other finding his new IPL home in Delhi Capitals. Also read | ‘I was looking for one guy…hoping he’d come and talk to me,’ Nitish Reddy recalls dressing room joy after MCG hundred Ahead of the 18th edition, the KKR announced their new retro kit, with black and golden sleeves, alongside picking a new captain in seasoned campaigner Ajinkya Rahane. Venkatesh Iyer, whom they repurchased at auction after letting him go ahead of the retention list announcement, KKR named Rahane’s deputy. Meanwhile, KKR will host the curtain raiser this season, hosting Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Saturday (Mar 22) at the Eden Gardens, which will also hosts the final (May 25). (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: Amid security concerns, April 6 KKR-LSG game moved out of Eden Gardens

With just days remaining for the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) season, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are all set to defend their crown. Led by Ajinkya Rahane KKR will open its campaign against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as they host them at the Eden Gardens. However, the new-looking design of the franchise&rsquo;s kit has attracted its fan base as we decode the fascinating story behind it.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">WION Exclusive on IPL 2025<o:p></o:p></h2>
Speaking exclusively to WION&rsquo;s Aditya Pimpale was Avni Aneja, co-founder of SIX5SIX who are the official kits manufacturers of KKR in IPL 2025. SIX5SIX is a leading brand in the Indian sports market giving tough fights to international kit manufacturers Nike, Adidas and others.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Question: How did the collaboration with Kolkata Knight Riders start?<o:p></o:p></h2>
So, SIX5SIX has been around for about say six years. We've done quite a few sports till now and it's been football primarily. Then we've done table tennis, we've manufactured kits for a bunch of other teams and sports as well.
Cricket is something that we got into fairly recently when we stepped foot in it a couple of years ago. There's not a bigger property than IPL in this country at all. So that was always our target. We started with another IPL team last year when we collaborated with Lucknow Super Giants. So I would say that&rsquo;s where the base was for our recent collaboration with KKR as we built a brand in the last couple of years.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Question: How did your adventure with SIX5SIX start?<o:p></o:p></h2>
Primarily, SIX5SIX is a sportswear and streetwear brand and the primary focus at this point is obviously sports. I and my co-founder who is also my brother Ambar, have been sports people all our lives. So this was a culture inculcated by my parents. We played a bunch of sports I played state-level basketball. My brother actually played state-level U-16 cricket when he was in school and college so we were always connected to sports.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-kkr-vs-lsg-on-april-6-likely-to-be-rescheduled-due-to-security-concerns-8867263" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">IPL 2025: KKR vs LSG on April 6 likely to be rescheduled due to security concerns</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Question: How was your experience working with KKR while designing the new kit?<o:p></o:p></h2>
I feel like what we as a brand have done in the last few years with all of the sports and now that we moved into cricket is that our philosophy is design first. What we do is put our heart and soul into making a jersey come alive not just for the players but also for the fans because I feel like that connection is very important as someone who's also wearing the jersey or someone who's supporting the person wearing the jersey.
So our philosophy has always been very of course, associating ourselves with a legacy like KKR, made the design process so much easier because we had quite a bit of freedom in terms of what we wanted to design and two. After all, they had such a rich history and heritage and obviously, the most obvious one at this point was because like you said they were defending champions last year.

Sports, Cricket, IPL: Speaking exclusively to WION’s Aditya Pimpale was Avni Aneja, co-founder of SIX5SIX who are the official kits manufacturers of KKR in IPL 2025.

With just days remaining for the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) season, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are all set to defend their crown. Led by Ajinkya Rahane KKR will open its campaign against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as they host them at the Eden Gardens. However, the new-looking design of the franchise’s kit has attracted its fan base as we decode the fascinating story behind it. WION Exclusive on IPL 2025 Speaking exclusively to WION’s Aditya Pimpale was Avni Aneja, co-founder of SIX5SIX who are the official kits manufacturers of KKR in IPL 2025. SIX5SIX is a leading brand in the Indian sports market giving tough fights to international kit manufacturers Nike, Adidas and others. Question: How did the collaboration with Kolkata Knight Riders start? So, SIX5SIX has been around for about say six years. We've done quite a few sports till now and it's been football primarily. Then we've done table tennis, we've manufactured kits for a bunch of other teams and sports as well. Cricket is something that we got into fairly recently when we stepped foot in it a couple of years ago. There's not a bigger property than IPL in this country at all. So that was always our target. We started with another IPL team last year when we collaborated with Lucknow Super Giants. So I would say that’s where the base was for our recent collaboration with KKR as we built a brand in the last couple of years. Question: How did your adventure with SIX5SIX start? Primarily, SIX5SIX is a sportswear and streetwear brand and the primary focus at this point is obviously sports. I and my co-founder who is also my brother Ambar, have been sports people all our lives. So this was a culture inculcated by my parents. We played a bunch of sports I played state-level basketball. My brother actually played state-level U-16 cricket when he was in school and college so we were always connected to sports. ALSO READ | IPL 2025: KKR vs LSG on April 6 likely to be rescheduled due to security concerns Question: How was your experience working with KKR while designing the new kit? I feel like what we as a brand have done in the last few years with all of the sports and now that we moved into cricket is that our philosophy is design first. What we do is put our heart and soul into making a jersey come alive not just for the players but also for the fans because I feel like that connection is very important as someone who's also wearing the jersey or someone who's supporting the person wearing the jersey. So our philosophy has always been very of course, associating ourselves with a legacy like KKR, made the design process so much easier because we had quite a bit of freedom in terms of what we wanted to design and two. After all, they had such a rich history and heritage and obviously, the most obvious one at this point was because like you said they were defending champions last year.

IPL 2025 Exclusive: Story behind Kolkata Knight Riders' new kit and what influenced the idea

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) new vice-captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/venkatesh-iyer" rel="dofollow">Venkatesh Iyer</a> admitted feeling pressured by the auction price tag ahead of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a> starting March 22. Iyer, 30, was not among the six players retained by the defending champions before the mega auction in December but became the third-most-expensive buy in IPL history, with KKR bagging his services for a whopping $2.7m (INR 23.75 crore).
His auction bid indicated how much KKR valued him, who played a handy role in them winning the previous edition &ndash; their third in IPL history. However, with no outright captaincy choice available in the squad, the speculations of KKR appointing him as the new captain began doing rounds on social media. But instead, they handpicked seasoned campaigner <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ajinkya-rahane" rel="dofollow">Ajinkya Rahane</a> as the new skipper, with Iyer being his deputy.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-kl-rahul-opens-up-on-auction-delhi-capitals-move-a-nerve-wracking-experience-8855560" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: KL Rahul opens up on auction &amp; Delhi Capitals move: 'A nerve-wracking experience'</a>
Speaking to the media ahead of the start of the 18th edition, Iyer spoke of the reality of the price tag pressure and how Dwayne Bravo&rsquo;s appointment as the new mentor will boost their chances of retaining their IPL title. Bravo replaced Gautam Gambhir, who took up India&rsquo;s head coach role after guiding KKR home the last season.
&ldquo;He's been the most successful T20 player in history, so he brings a lot of experience to the table. Nothing can beat experience. He's played so many games; he's won so many games for West Indies and the franchises that he's played for,&rdquo; Iyer said of T20 great Bravo.
"It exists. You can't ignore it altogether, but when the IPL starts, it really doesn't matter. You're a part of a playing XI, a part of a team that is going out there to win,&rdquo; Iyer said of his price tag.
<h2>&lsquo;Honour to lead KKR&rsquo;</h2>
Rahane felt grateful about getting appointed as KKR&rsquo;s new captain ahead of IPL 2025. Speaking to the media, he acknowledged the management for showing trust in him, adding that he cares about the team more than his batting position, with KKR already&nbsp;having plenty of top-order options. &nbsp;
"It's an honour for me to lead this wonderful franchise. I'm really thankful and grateful to the management for giving me this opportunity," Rahane said. "For me, it is always about keeping it simple... We will obviously give our best this season."&nbsp;
"I have always played wherever the team wanted me to play. Team thinking has always come first,&rdquo; Rahane said of batting position.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: KKR bought Venkatesh Iyer for a whopping $2.7m (INR 23.75 crore) at last year's mega IPL auction, making him the third-most-expensive player in tournament history.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) new vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer admitted feeling pressured by the auction price tag ahead of IPL 2025 starting March 22. Iyer, 30, was not among the six players retained by the defending champions before the mega auction in December but became the third-most-expensive buy in IPL history, with KKR bagging his services for a whopping $2.7m (INR 23.75 crore). His auction bid indicated how much KKR valued him, who played a handy role in them winning the previous edition – their third in IPL history. However, with no outright captaincy choice available in the squad, the speculations of KKR appointing him as the new captain began doing rounds on social media. But instead, they handpicked seasoned campaigner Ajinkya Rahane as the new skipper, with Iyer being his deputy. Also read | IPL 2025: KL Rahul opens up on auction & Delhi Capitals move: 'A nerve-wracking experience' Speaking to the media ahead of the start of the 18th edition, Iyer spoke of the reality of the price tag pressure and how Dwayne Bravo’s appointment as the new mentor will boost their chances of retaining their IPL title. Bravo replaced Gautam Gambhir, who took up India’s head coach role after guiding KKR home the last season. “He's been the most successful T20 player in history, so he brings a lot of experience to the table. Nothing can beat experience. He's played so many games; he's won so many games for West Indies and the franchises that he's played for,” Iyer said of T20 great Bravo. "It exists. You can't ignore it altogether, but when the IPL starts, it really doesn't matter. You're a part of a playing XI, a part of a team that is going out there to win,” Iyer said of his price tag. ‘Honour to lead KKR’ Rahane felt grateful about getting appointed as KKR’s new captain ahead of IPL 2025. Speaking to the media, he acknowledged the management for showing trust in him, adding that he cares about the team more than his batting position, with KKR already having plenty of top-order options. "It's an honour for me to lead this wonderful franchise. I'm really thankful and grateful to the management for giving me this opportunity," Rahane said. "For me, it is always about keeping it simple... We will obviously give our best this season." "I have always played wherever the team wanted me to play. Team thinking has always come first,” Rahane said of batting position. (With inputs from agencies)

‘Price tag pressure exists but once you’re…,’ KKR’s Venkatesh Iyer ahead of IPL 2025

Former England cricketer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/moeen-ali">Moeen Ali</a> has criticised the current state of One Day International (ODI) cricket, calling it the 'worst format to play' due to rule changes that have made it overly favorable for batters. Speaking to Talksport Cricket, as quoted by Wisden, Moeen argued that ODIs have 'completely died' outside of the ICC Cricket World Cup and the Champions Trophy.
England's recent struggles in ODIs add weight to his comments. They endured a disastrous ICC Cricket World Cup title defense in 2023, winning just three out of nine matches. While they managed to qualify for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy">Champions Trophy</a>, their campaign ended without a single victory in three games.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/rahul-has-added-depth-to-batting-line-up-as-no6-batter-india-batting-coach-sitanshu-kotak-8832646">'Rahul has added depth to batting line-up as No.6 batter', India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak</a>
Moeen pinpointed specific rule changes as major issues, particularly the 2012 rule that mandates only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle after the first powerplay. He described this as 'horrendous' for bowlers, as it makes it difficult to build pressure and take wickets.
"I think the rules are terrible. The extra fielder inside the circle after the powerplay is a horrendous rule for taking wickets or building pressure. Players now average 60 or 70 in ODIs because of it. If you put a bit of pressure on, the batter can just reverse-sweep for a boundary. There's always an option available for them to score," Moeen explained.
<h2 data-start="954" data-end="1313">'Cricket has died'</h2>
He also criticised the use of two new balls from both ends, a rule introduced in the early 2010s, stating that it has removed reverse swing and made batting easier.
"You lose the reverse swing, you lose the art of trying to hit a softer ball. Everything stays hard, and the ball flies off the bat. Because of this, 50-over cricket has died," he added.
Beyond the rule changes, Moeen pointed to the growing dominance of franchise cricket as another reason for ODI cricket&rsquo;s decline.&nbsp;"The problem is the huge money being thrown into franchise cricket. Players simply can't turn it down. Some will likely retire early from international cricket to focus on franchises," he remarked.
Moeen, a key member of England&rsquo;s 2019 World Cup-winning squad, played 138 ODIs, scoring 2,355 runs with three centuries and six fifties while also taking 111 wickets. This season, he will feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with defending champions <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kolkata-knight-riders">Kolkata Knight Riders</a> (KKR).
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: He also criticised the use of two new balls from both ends, a rule introduced in the early 2010s, stating that it has removed reverse swing and made batting easier

Former England cricketer Moeen Ali has criticised the current state of One Day International (ODI) cricket, calling it the 'worst format to play' due to rule changes that have made it overly favorable for batters. Speaking to Talksport Cricket, as quoted by Wisden, Moeen argued that ODIs have 'completely died' outside of the ICC Cricket World Cup and the Champions Trophy. England's recent struggles in ODIs add weight to his comments. They endured a disastrous ICC Cricket World Cup title defense in 2023, winning just three out of nine matches. While they managed to qualify for the Champions Trophy, their campaign ended without a single victory in three games. Also Read: 'Rahul has added depth to batting line-up as No.6 batter', India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak Moeen pinpointed specific rule changes as major issues, particularly the 2012 rule that mandates only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle after the first powerplay. He described this as 'horrendous' for bowlers, as it makes it difficult to build pressure and take wickets. "I think the rules are terrible. The extra fielder inside the circle after the powerplay is a horrendous rule for taking wickets or building pressure. Players now average 60 or 70 in ODIs because of it. If you put a bit of pressure on, the batter can just reverse-sweep for a boundary. There's always an option available for them to score," Moeen explained. 'Cricket has died' He also criticised the use of two new balls from both ends, a rule introduced in the early 2010s, stating that it has removed reverse swing and made batting easier. "You lose the reverse swing, you lose the art of trying to hit a softer ball. Everything stays hard, and the ball flies off the bat. Because of this, 50-over cricket has died," he added. Beyond the rule changes, Moeen pointed to the growing dominance of franchise cricket as another reason for ODI cricket’s decline. "The problem is the huge money being thrown into franchise cricket. Players simply can't turn it down. Some will likely retire early from international cricket to focus on franchises," he remarked. Moeen, a key member of England’s 2019 World Cup-winning squad, played 138 ODIs, scoring 2,355 runs with three centuries and six fifties while also taking 111 wickets. This season, he will feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). (With inputs from agencies)

Former England cricketer lambast ODI cricket, says it is 'the worst format to play'

Defending Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have named Ajinkya Rahane as their captain ahead of the upcoming season. Venkatesh Iyer has been named Rahane's deputy as they begin their title defence on March 22 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
&ldquo;We are delighted to have someone like Ajinkya Rahane, who brings his experience and maturity as a leader. Also, Venkatesh Iyer has been a franchise player for KKR and brings a lot of leadership qualities. We are confident that they will combine well as we start the defence of our title,&rdquo; said Venky Mysore, CEO of KKR, via a press release.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/champions-trophy-india-spinner-varun-reveals-he-wanted-to-be-an-architect-or-make-movies-before-taking-cricket-at-26-8773470">India spinner Varun started playing cricket at 26, before that he wanted to be 'an architect or make movies'</a>
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an honour to be asked to lead KKR, which has been one of the most successful franchises in the IPL. I think we have an excellent and balanced squad. I look forward to working with everyone and taking up the challenge of defending our title,&rdquo; Rahane said upon receiving the captaincy.
The veteran Indian batter was done and dusted when a stint with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) led to his second innings, where the technical batter plays with disdain and flamboyance. KKR had bought Rahane at the auction for his base price of INR 1.50 crore ($1,72,000 approximately).
KKR, in the IPL mega auction in November 2024, decided to let go skipper Shreyas Iyer as they kept the rest of the core the same. They retained the maximum allowed six players ahead of the auction with Varun Chakaravarthy, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and Harshit Rana.
They bought back Iyer for a whopping INR 23.75 crore ($2.6 million) on the first day of the auction, along with other players including Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Anrich Nortje, and Quinton de Kock.
The IPL season starts on March 22, with the final set to be played nearly two months later on May 25&mdash;both in Kolkata.

The veteran Indian batter was done and dusted when a stint with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) led to his second innings, where the technical batter plays with disdain and flamboyance. Cricket Sports

Defending Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have named Ajinkya Rahane as their captain ahead of the upcoming season. Venkatesh Iyer has been named Rahane's deputy as they begin their title defence on March 22 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. “We are delighted to have someone like Ajinkya Rahane, who brings his experience and maturity as a leader. Also, Venkatesh Iyer has been a franchise player for KKR and brings a lot of leadership qualities. We are confident that they will combine well as we start the defence of our title,” said Venky Mysore, CEO of KKR, via a press release. Also Read: India spinner Varun started playing cricket at 26, before that he wanted to be 'an architect or make movies' “It’s an honour to be asked to lead KKR, which has been one of the most successful franchises in the IPL. I think we have an excellent and balanced squad. I look forward to working with everyone and taking up the challenge of defending our title,” Rahane said upon receiving the captaincy. The veteran Indian batter was done and dusted when a stint with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) led to his second innings, where the technical batter plays with disdain and flamboyance. KKR had bought Rahane at the auction for his base price of INR 1.50 crore ($1,72,000 approximately). KKR, in the IPL mega auction in November 2024, decided to let go skipper Shreyas Iyer as they kept the rest of the core the same. They retained the maximum allowed six players ahead of the auction with Varun Chakaravarthy, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and Harshit Rana. They bought back Iyer for a whopping INR 23.75 crore ($2.6 million) on the first day of the auction, along with other players including Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Anrich Nortje, and Quinton de Kock. The IPL season starts on March 22, with the final set to be played nearly two months later on May 25—both in Kolkata.

IPL 2025: Bought at base price of INR 15000000, veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane set to lead KKR

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